Photo: Striped dolphins in the wild. Credit: Robin W. Baird
Video Link: https://go.hawaii.edu/p2r

Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoaʻs School of Life Sciences and Health and Stranding Lab (UHHSL) are raising alarms after three striped dolphins stranded on east Oʻahu shorelines within a single week and tested positive for Brucella ceti, a bacterial infection known to transmit from marine mammals to humans. The findings suggest a potentially widespread threat to dolphin and whale populations in Hawaiian waters.

Two of the dolphins were discovered on Waimānalo beaches on June 7 and 8, and the third was found in Waikāne on June 15. Cultural practitioners were present at each response, providing guidance and support to the UH first response team.

Public Safety Alert

Brucella ceti can cause flu-like symptoms, neurological problems, and chronic arthritis in humans if left untreated. “Handling infected marine mammals puts people at risk,” said Kristi West, associate researcher at UH Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) and director of the university’s Health and Stranding Lab. “We urge the public to keep a safe distance from stranded animals and immediately report any sightings to authorities.

Public cooperation is crucial, as most dolphin and whale strandings go unrecovered. “Marine mammals are vital indicators of ocean health,” West explained. “Three strandings in a week likely reflect a much larger number of animals affected at sea. This situation highlights the importance of ongoing monitoring and research.”

New Strain Identified

Working closely with Dr. Michael Norris, a microbiologist in the UH Mānoa School of Life Sciences, the research team has identified a new strain of Brucella ceti in Hawaiian marine mammals, likely responsible for the recent strandings. Their recent findings, published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, reveal that striped dolphins are especially vulnerable, but the bacteria has also been found in other species, including pygmy killer whales, sperm whales, spinner dolphins, and Longman’s beaked whales. Many infected animals suffered severe brain and lung infections, often compounded by viral coinfections.

This critical research is supported by a Zoonotic Disease Initiative grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources.

How to Help

Report any sightings of stranded or distressed marine mammals to the statewide NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at 1(888) 256-9840.

Video:
B-ROLL: UH Health and Stranding Lab and wild striped dolphins
(1 minute, 17 seconds: 0:00–1:05 UH Health and Stranding Lab; 1:06–1:17 Striped dolphins in the wild)

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