Necropsy Report

Killer Whale (orca) Shawn

Age 2 yrs SeaWorld of California
Name: Shawn (female) Species: Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Source: wild capture, 1978, SE Coast of Iceland, age: est. 1 yr Deceased: morning 09-03-1979, SeaWorld of California, age: est. 2 yrs Reported cause of death (per NMFS MMIR data): Pneumonia Necropsy info: Diagnosis- Lanny H. Cornell, DVM (1979): 1) Uremia. 2) Peracute (viral) infection. Diagnosis- AFIP (1979): 1) Bronchopneumonia, acute to subacute, fibrinopurulent, extensive, severe, lungs, female, killer whale (Orcinus orca), Cetacea, bacterial origin. 2) Necrosis and fatty degeneration, diffuse, severe, liver. 3) Congestion, passive, severe, diffuse, spleen. Diagnosis- Lynn A. Griner, DVM (1979): Acute bacterial pneumonia. The pneumonia in this animal somewhat resembles bovine shipping fever.
Notes: Prior to reforms of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in 1994, holders of marine mammals for public display were required to submit necropsy reports (animal autopsy reports) for deceased animals, making the documents available to the public and scientific community. Presently, marine mammal parks in the U.S. are only required to provide a cause of death to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) which maintains Marine Mammal Inventory Reports (MMIR). Details of marine mammal deaths are now a closely guarded secret at U.S. entertainment facilities. The Orca Project acquired the following documents from the National Marine Fisheries Service (U.S.A) via the Freedom of Information Act for deaths that occurred prior to implementation of the 1994 MMPA changes. For more information visit www.theorcaproject.com
Necropsy, Autopsy, Veterinarian, NOAA, NMFS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, MMIR, Marine Mammal Inventory Report, MMPA, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Killer Whale, Orca, Shamu, Death, Die, SeaWorld, San Diego, California, Shawn

The Orca Project Corp

3/11/2012

www.theorcaproject.com

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Respiratory Systen: T h e t r a c h e a c o n t a i n s a p i n k , fosrily s u b s t a n c e . The l u n g s are heavy pink-brown w i t h a m o t t l e d a p p e a r a n c e . The c a p s u l a r s u r f a c e h a s numerous p e t e c h i a l hemorrhagic a r e a s . On c u t s e c t i o n t h e r e i s e v i d e n c e o f m o d e r a t c t o s e v e r e c o n g e s t i o n ~britha s s o c i a t e d s e v e r e p u l m o n a ~ e d e m a t h r o u g h o u t t h e p a r e n c h y x a . Fibrii:ous b r o n d ~ opzeurronia e v i d e n t '&roughout. D i q e s t i v e System: The e s o p h a g u s r e v e a l s no s i g n i f i c a n t l e s i o n s . . The f o r e s t o m a c h i s e m-p t - . a n d t h e l n u c o s a i s m o d e r a t e l y s l o u q h e d . v The q l a n d u l ; s t o m a c h h a s a s m a l l q u a n t i t y o f s e m i - d i g e s t e d f i s h - s he m u c o s a r e v e a l s no s i g n i f i c a n t l e s i o r l s . The s m a l l and l a r q ? i n t e s t i n e s c o n t a i n a d a r k brown-black mucoid i n g e s t a . There is a moderate t a p e ~ ~ o ri n f e s t a t i o n i n m t h e srnall i n t e s t i n e s . ?'he l i v e r i s p u r p l e - b r o : ; n w i t h a roughenccl c a p s u l ; s u r f a c e and s w o l l e n e d g e s . On c u t s e c t i o n t b e r c i s e v i d e n c e o f m o d e r a t e congeskion. The a b d o m i n a l c a v i t y c o n t a i n s a b o u t 3 l i t e r s o f a y e l l o w clear f l u i d t h a t has a very s t r o n g u r i n e odor.

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Lymphatic system: The b r o n c h i a l , p r e s c a p u l a r , h e p a t i c a n d m e s e n t e r i c ivmoh n o d e s a r e s o f t , s w o l l e n t a n - g r a y . On c u t s e c t i o n t h e r e i s e v i d e n c e of darkening i n the medullary region. The s p l e e n i s m o d e r a t e l y e n l a r g e d , p u r p l e w i t h numerous f i b r i n t a g s o n t h e c a p s u l e . The c u t s e c t i o n r e v e a l s s e v e r e c o n g e s t i o n and t h e parenchyma i s j e l l y - l i k e .
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M u s c u l o s k e l e t a l Svstem: The m u s c u l a t u r e i n t h e inquinal region is K r u i s c d a n d hyper=and d i s c o l o r e d d o r s a l and v e n t r a l t o t h e u r i n a r y bladder. There is a l a r g e q u a n t i t y o f c l o t t e d blood n e a r t h e neck o f t h e bladder. The r e m a i n d e r o f t h e s y s t e m r e v e a l s n o s i g n i f i c a n t l e s i o n s . Endocrine & Exocrine System: The a d r e n a l g l a n d s are tan-brown and a p p e a r t o be s l i q h t l y atrophied. On c u t s e c t i o n t h e r e i s s l i g h t c o n q e s t i o n i n t h e m e d u l l a r y ~ c o r t i c a lr e g i o n . The p a n c r e a s r e v e a l s no s i g n i f i c a n t l e s i o C a r d i o v a s c u l a r System: The h e a r t i s o f n o r m a l . s h a p e a n d s i z e a n d i s slightly pale i n color. On c u t s e c t i o n t h e m y o c a r d i u m i s s l i g h t l y p a l e . The r e m a i n d e r o f t h e s y s t e m r e v e a l s n o s i g n i f i c a n t l e s i o n s . U r i n a r y S -t e m : y sThe k i d n e y s a r e d a r k brown a n d o f n o r m a l s h a p e , s i z e and c o n s i s t e n c y . On c u t s e c t i o n t h e r e i s e v i d e n c e -of m o d e r a t e c o n g e s t i o n The u r i n a r y b l a d d e r h a s a s m a l l q u a n t i t y o f a m i l k y r e d t h i c k m u c o i d u r i n e . The mucosa h a s s e v e r a l s m a l l p e t e c h i a l h e m o r r h a g i c a r e a s . R e p r o d u c t i v e System: The o v a r i e s a r e t a n s m a l l a n d i n a c t i v e . r e v e a l s no s i g n i f i c a n t l e s i o n s . Nervous System: Not e x a m i n e d . The u t e r u s

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PAT'ENT IDEN'TIFICATIOI!

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A O O R E S S R E P L Y T O THE D ~ R E C T O R A T T N - AFIP

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CONSULTATION REPORT O N CONTRIBUTOR PAATERIAL

Dear Doctor Cornel 1 : Thank yo,u f o r s u b m i t t i n g t h i s i n t e r e s t i n g c a s e t i t h e Registry o f Comparati ve Path01 ogy. Your c a s e number i s Sbl-79093. 1.
AFIP D I A G F I O S s

Bronchopneumonia, a c u t e t o s u b a c u t e , f i br-i nop u r u l e n t , e x t e n s i v e , s e v e r e , 1 u t ~ g s , fernal e , k i l l e r whale (Orcinus 01-ca), Cetacea, b a c t e r i a l o r i g i n . Necrosis and f a t t y d e ~ e n e r a t i o n , d i f f u s e , s e v e r e , 1 i v e r . Congestion, p a s s i v e , s e v e r e , d i f f u s e , s p l e e n .

2.
3.

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Comment: The pngurnonic l e s i o n s were s e v e r e and d i f f u s e and they appeared t o be o f r e c e n t duratioti a s evidenced by e x t e n s i v e hen:orrhage, congestion and f i b r i no-purul e n t exudate. Large c o l o n i e s of mi xed b a c t e r i a were p r e s e n t but most ~:et-egram-posi t i ve cocci arranged i n 1 a r g e c l u s t e r s , n;orph3l o g i c a l l y reserrbl ing t h e genus S t a p l ~ y ~ o c o c c u s .Large a r e a s of n e c r o s i s d r ~ df a t t y d e g e n e r a t i o n were noted i n t h e l i v e r and v;e be1 i e v e t h a t t h e s e v!ei-e secondary changes r e l a t e d t o t h e prirnary pneunlonic l e s i o n s . A very i n t e r e s t i n g c a s e c f o r 11hich we a r e pleased t o add t o O I J ~ o l l e c t i o n on d i s e a s e s o f marine nlammal s .

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T h e g r o s s a u t o p s y r e p o r t h a s b e e n s u b m i t t e d p r e v i o u s l y , b u t 2s a r e v i e w , t h e l e s i o n s i v e r e l a r g e 1 y c o n f i n e d t o t h e r e s p i * r a t o r y s y s t z m , w h i c h sho:.~ed g r o s s e v i d e n c e o f p u l m o n a r y edema a n d p n e u m o n i a , w i t h s o c e r e d and g r a y h e p a t i z a t i o CARDIOVASCULAR: vasculature. The h e a r t : No l e s i o n s w e r e s e e n i n t h e h e a r t o r i n t h e

RESPIRATORY: The l u n g s : H i s t o l o g i c a l l y t h e l e s i o n s i n t h e lunqs were c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y an a c u t e f i b r i n o - p u r u l e n t pneumonia. Numerous n e u r r o p h i l s f i l l e d t h e a l v e o l i a n d many o f t h e b r o n c h i . A l o n g w i t h t h e n e u t r o p h i l s was a c o n s i d e r a b l e amount o f e d e m a t o u s f l u i d and f i b r i n . Colonies o f bacteria, L J i~c h a p p e a r e d t o b e sma 1 1 b a c i 1 1 i , ! ] e r e f o u n d i n rrany a 1 v e o l i a n d b r o n c h i . DIGESTIVE: The l i v e r r e v e a l e d e v i d e n c e o f f o c a l n e c r o s i s t ~ i t h e n o r r h a g h There were s c a t t e r e d a r eas o f a p e r i p o r t a l i n f l a m m a t i o n , c l i a r a c t e r i zed by lymphocyte i r l f i l t r s t i o n . Some o f t h e s i n u s o i d s w i t h i n t h e l i v e r c o n t a i n e d a f e w n e u t r o p h i l s a n d t h e r e a p p e a r e d t o be some h y p e r p l a s i a o f P u r k i n j e c e l l s o ottier reticuloendothelial c e l l s . Sect'ions o f t h e i n t e s t i n e r e v e a l e d e r o s i o n s and f o c a l a r e a s o f n e c r o s i s . T h e s e l e s i o n s p e r h a p s c o u l d b e r e l a ~ e dt o p o s t mortem a u t o l y s i s . HEHOPO I ETI C: The s p l e e n was n a s s i v e , l y c o n g e s t e d a n d h e m o r r h a g i c . ~ h ' es p l e e n , a l o n g w i t h t h e 1 ymph nodes', a p p e a r e d t o h a v e u n d e r g o n e soc2 s u p p r e s s i o f Iymphopoies'is.
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