BACTERIAL ISOLATES FROM CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS-CALIFORNIANUS), HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA-VITULINA), AND NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS (MIROUNGA-ANGUSTIROSTRIS) ADMITTED TO A REHABILITATION CENTER ALONG THE CENTRALCALIFORNIA COAST, 1994-1995

In 2 yr of bacteriologic culturing of 297 California sea lions (Zaloph us californianus), 154 harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), and 89 northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) stranded alive along the Cali fornia coast, the most frequent isolates from inflammatory lesions in live animals were Escherichia coli, Streptococcus viridans, Listeria i vanovii, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus spp., and Enterococcus spp. This is the first report of L. ivanovii isolation from a marine mammal. Th e common isolates from lung and liver in animals dying during rehabili tation were E. coli, Salmonella spp., Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp ., Aeromonas spp., Proteus spp., and Staphylococcus aureus. The most c ommon isolates from brain were Enterococcus spp., E. coli, Klebsiella spp., and Pseudomonas spp. Ocular lesions were seen most often in harb or seals and elephant seals, from which the isolates cultured included Pseudomonas spp., Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus viridans, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus spp., Morganella morganii, Moraxella s pp., beta-hemolytic Streptococcus spp., and L. ivanovii. Nine differen t Salmonella serotypes were isolated from 49 animals; S. newport was t he most common. These results should enable those working clinically w ith these species to make logical decisions in choosing initial antimi crobial therapy.