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Mortality Investigation of the Mekong Irrawaddy River Dolphin (Orcaella Brevirostris) in Cambodia Based on Necropsy Sample Analysis

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Mortality Investigation of the Mekong Irrawaddy River Dolphin (Orcaella Brevirostris) in Cambodia Based on Necropsy Sample Analysis MORTALITY INVESTIGATION OF THE MEKONG IRRAWADDY RIVER DOLPHIN (ORCAELLA BREVIROSTRIS) IN CAMBODIA BASED ON NECROPSY SAMPLE ANALYSIS Dr Verné Dove (BVSc hons BAnim SC hons MVS cons med. Dip Cons) WWF Technical Report April 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................3 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................................4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (KHMER) .........................................................................5 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (ENGLISH).............................................................12 2. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................18 3. METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................................20 3.1. Necropsies.........................................................................................................20 3.2. Epidemiology in disease surveillance...............................................................20 3.3. Sample analysis.................................................................................................21 4. RESULTS ............................................................................................................24 4.1. Microbiological Testing at Pasteur Institute.....................................................24 4.2. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Pathogen Screen .......................................25 4.3. Histopathology..................................................................................................25 4.4. Heavy Metal Analysis.......................................................................................26 4.5. Dioxin Analysis ................................................................................................27 4.6. Persistent Organochlorine Pesticides (POPs) ...................................................28 4.7. Genetic analysis ................................................................................................30 DISCUSSION..............................................................................................................31 4.8. Neck Lesions and Pathogen Screening.............................................................34 4.8.1. Aeromonas hydrophila..............................................................................36 4.9. Histopathology Findings...................................................................................38 4.10. Heavy Metal Analysis.....................................................................................39 4.11. Dioxin Analysis ..............................................................................................41 4.12. Persistent Organochlorine Pesticides (POPs) Analysis ..................................42 4.13. Genetic Analysis .............................................................................................45 4.14. Contaminants, Disease and Immunosuppression............................................45 4.15. Threats Contributing to the Mekong River Dolphin Population Decline.......47 4.15.1. Inbreeding and Contaminants Resulting in Immuno-suppression and Disease.................................................................................................................47 5. CONCLUSION....................................................................................................52 6. RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................53 7. GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................54 8. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................57 2 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Details of the tissues exported in 2006..........................................................22 Table 2: Tests carried out on each sample...................................................................23 Table 3: Bacterial Culture Results from Pasteur Institute Phnom Penh. .....................24 Table 4: Irrawaddy Dolphin Sample Pathogen screen.................................................25 Table 5: Mercury and Selenium results from the Irrawaddy dolphin in µmol/g-wet weight...................................................................................................................26 Table 6: Mercury and Selenium results from the Irrawaddy dolphin in µg/g-wet weight...................................................................................................................27 Table 7: Average results for 5 dolphins sampled for Dioxins and Furans...................28 Table 8: Total lipid and lipid classesa in blubber of Irrawaddy dolphins collected in Cambodia 2004-2006...........................................................................................29 Table 9: Concentrations (ng/g, Lipid) of POPs measured in blubber of Irrawaddy dolphins collected in Cambodia 2004-2006 ........................................................29 Table 10: Mean concentrations (ng/g, Lipid) of Organochlorine contaminants measured in blubber of Irrawaddy dolphins collected in Chilika Lake, India, 2000-2001 ............................................................................................................30 Table 11: Comparison of various mercury levels........................................................39 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Some of the 8 dead dolphins that were buried under instruction in 2007....32 Figure 2: Some of the dolphins withheld from necropsy examination for up to one month ...................................................................................................................33 Figure 3: Neck lesions visible to the naked eye commonly seen in dead dolphins.....34 Figure 4: Difference in muscle colour of neck lesion area compared to the rest of the body......................................................................................................................35 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge my supervisors in this project, Dr Carly Palmer, Dr Kristin Warren, Dr Martin Gilbert and Dr Ian Roberts for all their help and support. I would like to thank and acknowledge the research team, with out which this project could not be done, Dr Fernando Trujillo, Lor Kim San, Kim Sokha, Vinn Bunna, Tan Someth Bunvath, Bart Kluskens, Phay Somany, David Dove, Mr Vuth, Mr Lipine, Troy Saville, Gerard Ryan and Laura Parker, as well as Richard Zanre the project manager of CMDCP (Cambodian Mekong Dolphin Conservation Project). In addition, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Cambodian Fisheries Administration and Commission for Dolphin Conservation and Ecotourism Development for their ongoing support for this project, particularly His Excellency T.S. Tana for supporting this work. In addition I would like to acknowledge WWF-Cambodia and WWF-Denmark for the financial and logistical support for this project, and the WCS- field veterinary program for all the support they have provided to this project. I would also like to acknowledge Murdoch University for providing funding towards equipment needed for this project, and for funding to present a paper on the research findings at an international conference. 4 esckþIsegçb stVepSatk,alRteLakTenøemKgÁ ¬Orcaella brevirostris¦ KWCastVepSatmYyRkum kñúgcMeNamstVepSatTenøcMnYnbIRkumepSgKña EdlRtUv)ancat;fñak;CaRbePTrgeRKaHbMputQan eTArkPaBputBUC. bc©úb,nñ cMnYn)a:n;RbmaNsrubénstVepSatk,alRteLakTenøemKgÁKWsßitenA cenøaHBI 66 eTA 86k,al b:ueNÑaH. cab;BIqñaM 2003 rhUtmkTl;bc©úb,nñenH stVepSatsrub cMnYn 88 k,al)ansøab;. GaRtasøab;d_x<s;enHkMBugeFVI[stVepSatk,alRteLakTenøemKgÁkøay CaRkumstVepSatEdlTTYlrgkarKMramkMEhgxøaMgCageKkñúgcMeNamstVepSatTenøTaMgbIRkum nig kMBugQaneTArkPaBvinasputBUCEtmþg. r)aykarN_enH kt;RtalT§plEdlTTYl)anBIkarviPaKelIsMNakstVepSatsøab;tam ry³karsikSacMnYnBIrdac;edayELkBIKña dUcxageRkam³ karsikSaRbePTTI1 karviPaKedIm,IBinitüemIlRbePT)ak;etrIEdlbgá[manCm¶W RtUv)aneFVIeLIgelIsMNak EdlRbmUl)anBIstVepSatEdlsøab;cMnYn 11k,al cab;taMgBI qñaM2007. karviPaKenH)aneFVI eLIgenAmnÞIrBiesaFn_viC¢asaRsþ)araMgénviTüasßan)a:sÞ½rRkugPñMeBjénRbeTskm<úCa . karsikSaRbePTTI2 sMNakstVepSatcMnYn 21EdlRbmUl)anBIkarvHkat;enAkñúgcenøaHqñaM 2004 nig2006 RtUv )ansRmaMgeRCIserIs nigepJIrecjeTAkan;mnÞIrBiesaFn_enARbeTskaNada nigshrdæGaemrik. sMNakTaMgenaHRtUv)anviPaKrkRbePTeraKsBaØaepSg² dUcxageRkam³ • BinitüemIlRbePT)ak;etrIEdlbgá[stVepSatmanCm¶W . PCR Pathogen (Disease) screening • BinitüemIlbMErbMrYlénCalikaEs,kEdlbgáeLIgedayCm¶W . Histopathology (microscopy) • BinitüemIlCatiKImIBulEdlmanenAkñúgbrisßan . Toxicology (environmental contaminants) • BinitüemIlBIsarFatuelah³ ¬)ar:t nigeseLj:Úm¦ Heavy Metal (Mercury and Selenium) • viPaKemIlCatiBulDIGuksIun (Dioxin/Furan analysis) • viPaKemIlBITMnak;TMngEh‘Sn (Genetic analysis) 5 karsikSaRbePTTI1 lT§plénkarsikSaBIkarviPaKrkemIlRbePT)ak;etrI EdlbgáCm¶Wdl;stVepSat)aneFVI eLIgenAviTüasßan)a:sÞ½rkñúgRkugPñMeBj)ankMnt;BImuxsBaØaénRbePTCm¶W EdlCamUlehtunaM[stV epSat cMnYn10k,al søab;enAkñúgcMeNamsMNakstVepSatsrubcMnYn11EdlRtUv)aneFVIkarviPaK enAmnÞIrBiesaFn_. PaKeRcInénsaksBstVepSatEdlsøab;RbmUl)anPøam KWmansñamenARtg;k emIleTAdUcCasñamCaMRkem:A. enAeBleFVIkarvHkat; eKsegáteXIjfasñamCaMenARtg;kTaMgenH hak;dUcCadMe)ArlYy. )ak;etrImYyRbePTkñúgcMeNam)ak;etrICaeRcInRbePTEdlbgá[mansñam
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