laboratoryequipment : reported that Study Finds Array of Bacteria When Orcas Exhale

Those orcas' breath samples revealed microbes capable of causing diseases. The number of Puget Sound orcas has fluctuated in recent decades as they have faced threats from lack of prey, pollution and noise disturbance from vessels. Individual Puget Sound orcas are identified by unique black and white markings or variations in their fin shapes, and each whale is given a number and a name. Scientists also found healthy bacteria in the breath samples but also worrisome drug-resistant ones such as salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. The findings in a new study raises concerns about the potential role of infectious diseases as another major stress factor for the struggling population of endangered Puget Sound orcas.

Bad Breath: Study Find Array of Bacteria When Orcas Exhale

Those orcas' breath samples revealed microbes capable of causing diseases. Scientists also found healthy bacteria in the breath samples but also worrisome drug-resistant ones such as salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. The number of Puget Sound orcas has fluctuated in recent decades as they have faced threats from lack of prey, pollution and noise disturbance from vessels. The findings in a new study raises concerns about the potential role of infectious diseases as another major stress factor for the struggling population of endangered Puget Sound orcas. Pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains were found in both the breath samples and seawater.

Orcas Spew An Array Of Bacteria When They Exhale, And Human Waste May Be To Blame

Data that may shed light on the role of infectious diseases in the endangered Puget Sound orca population also suggested that human waste could be contaminating its marine environment and causing the "bad breath." Breathing Out A Range Of BacteriaIn their analysis over a four-year period, researchers followed whales swimming in Washington state waters, waiting for them to surface and then exhale. Worrisome Bacteria, including salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus, were seen in both the whales' breath samples and seawater samples collected for comparison. In the last few months, the whale that swam in the seas near Washington State possibly passed away as she had not been seen with the J group. Orca PopulationOrcas have returned to Puget Sound just in time for the beginning of spring.


collected by :Lucy William

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