Navy researchers find Cipro present in dolphins off California

SAN DIEGO (AP) Bacteria resistant to one of the most powerful antibiotics on the market has been found in the blowholes of dolphins swimming off the Southern California coast.

Navy researchers are unsure how the bacteria, which is resistant to ciprofloxacin, commonly known as Cipro, found its way into the Pacific Ocean and whether runoff was the cause.

``The rains could provide the opportunity for germs to come from land, enter the water and find a happy home with animals in the ocean,'' said Stephanie Wong, a veterinary epidemiologist.

But the bacteria could simply occur naturally in the ocean, which has approximately 500 million bacteria in a single teaspoon, she said.

Navy researchers presented their findings Friday at the 42nd annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, which is being held in San Diego.

The U.S. Navy runs a marine mammal study program off the San Diego coastline. Researchers there study the natural sonar abilities of dolphins and train them to find underwater explosives.

From 1988 to 2001, researchers routinely swabbed the blowholes of its bottlenose dolphins with the intent of studying which germs affect them. Only recently did researchers decide to examine whether the germs where resistant to drugs, Wong said.

Although the bacteria was present, it was unlikely to affect the health of the dolphins.

``Marine mammals do an incredible job at staying healthy,'' Wong said. ``They have a unique immune system to help them in an environment that has a lot of germs and temperatures. They adapt well.''

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)