Tracheitis Associated With Bordetella Bronchiseptica in a Polar Bear (Ursus Maritimus)

A male polar bear (Ursus maritimus) was diagnosed with tracheitis associated with Bordetella bronchiseptica that was cultured from an endotracheal sample of thick mucopurulent exudate. The condition responded to oral amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and clinical signs of inappetence, depression, dysphagia, and tussis were resolved. One week after this presentation, a female conspecific presented with similar clinical signs, suggesting a transmissible nature of the disease or the same source of infection. The source of infection remains unknown.