how do orca whales get pneumonia?
410975
since theyre mammals, the get lung infections like every other animal that breathes air
476345
no, but it can aggravate them. For example, i have had pneumonia twice because my lungs are weak and prone to that, also I frequently get bronchitis.
1128906
In a way--when they get beached, however that happens(I'm no scientist), the sheer weight of their bodies suffocates them, gradually.  The whales weigh so much, only water can support their bulk.\nI wish this were  not so, but it happens.
761847
Some of them are buoyant and sleep floating on the surface breathing air. Others can do what in humans is comparable to the "dead man's float" where you are under the water motionless then tilt your head back only, rise to the surface to breathe, tilt it back and resubmerge. Hippos can do this without ever waking up so I assume some marine mammals can too.
97758
Nobody knows, and anybody who claims they do know are talking nonsense.\n\nPeople have put forwards lots of theories, from the pods trying to rescue sick members who have beached themselves to the effect of marine sonar or pollution. The problem is that no theory fits all the known records of beachings.\n\nWe can rule out all technological and therefore most human causes simply because whale beachings have been recorded regularly for the past 1000 years at least, and sporadically before that. Taking into account the extent of reportage and so forth before the popularisation of newspapers it appears that beachings haven't increased or decreased since Jesus was a boy. If pollution, sonar or other human pollution is having any effect on whales it isn't affecting beachings.\n\nThe idea that sick animals are beaching theselves and drawing in the rest of the pod seems slightly more plausible. The only problem is that several individuals becah themselves round the world every week and their pods don't follow them in. So why does it only happen sometimes? We then have the added problem that the beachings are quite often mass events. A beach will be deserted and then covered in whales half an hour later. That is highly implausible if it were caused by sick animals wandering onto the beach and the others wandering in after it. It seems to be a concerted effort. \n\nThe sick animal idea also doesn't account for the fact that whales that do float free either naturally or with humans assistance often beach themsleves again within days on  another beach.\n\n\nWhales probably beach themselves for lots of reasons. Sometimes it is because they simply don't see the beach until it is too late, sometimes they probably are trying to aid a comrade, sometimes the pod may have been posioned by human pollution or simply a red tide, sometimes they are chased onto the beach by charks or killer whales and so forth. Trying to assign one cause to whale beachings is like trying to assign one cause to cats getting stuck in trees or one cause to people having car accidents. Each case is unique with unique contributing factors.
1152837
All mammals can get cancer so the beluga whale is no different. Cancer is when something goes wrong with cell division.
1081160
Well, its true for some and false for others...\n\nBaleen: few inches across -> feed on small creatures\n\nSperm Whales : boy, these guys have huge throats and can swallow their prey whole.\n\n\nHowever, they can and do expand their throats.
375953
Don't have a clue.  I have the same problem, but it's not penguins, but those darn Serta Matress sheep.  I ask my doctor about it and he prescribed medicine to me and said that would make them go away.  Now I am trying to figure how to make those sheep take the pills.
159608
Maybe ice worms, they live in glacial ice.  Some microbes have been found in Antarctica ice.  I can't find any information if Orcas or leopard seals hang out at the North Pole.  Emperor Penguins live at Antarctica.
65098
Pneumonia is a bacterial infection of the lungs, and there are many strains and bacterias responsible for the infection.\n\nSome bugs are more infectious than others, and some are able to hop from one body to the other through the air.  Those are the worst so far as being contagious.
867868
They catch germs before the germs get into your lungs.  It's easier to get over a sore throat than pneumonia.
628752
Unlike marine mammals such as whales and dolphins with lungs that store oxygen from the surface air, fishes have gills. Gills are a series of membranes located on each side of the fish that function as respiratory organs. As water passes over this system of extremely fine gill membranes, the fishes absorb the oxygen from the water. The gills contain a network of fine blood vessels (capillaries) that take up the oxygen and diffuse it through the membranes. When fishes are taken out of water, they suffocate, because their gills collapse and they are unable to absorb oxygen.In many ways, the interior of the fish resembles that of many other animals. The digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems are very similar to those of other vertebrates. However, what really makes a fish different from other animals is its respiratory system. \n\n\n\nA fish’s respiratory system is determined primarily by the fact that it spends its entire life in water. Unlike the marine mammals such as whales, a fish has evolved in such a way as to not require frequent trips to the surface to breathe air. Fish have developed gills, on which they rely for the oxygen necessary for a fish’s limited metabolism. \n\nMany animals have gills at some stage of their life (even humans have them at an early stage of their development in the womb), but fish retained these gills and they are still a functional part of their anatomy. Fish use their gills to extract oxygen from their watery environment. The process starts with the fish’s mouth, which is how the fish takes in water. When a fish opens and closes its mouth, it is actually pumping water back through the gills and is thus breathing. Most fish have an effective pumping system that involves the mouth and the outer cover of the gills, called the operculum. When the fish’s mouth opens, the operculum closes, drawing water into the fish’s mouth. When the fish closes its mouth, the operculum opens, allowing fresh water to cross the gills. Other fish have a less effective pumping system, requiring them to swim constantly to keep fresh, oxygenated water flowing over the gills. These types of fish, such as tuna, generally swim with their mouths partly open. Incidentally, while many fish have nostrils, the nostrils are used only for a sense of smell, and play no part in respiration. \n\nOnce through the mouth, the water continues past structures called gill rakers. The gill rakers are essentially a filter system for the gills, straining the water to sift out floating food particles or foreign material. After passing through the gill rakers, the water continues through the gill arches and actually passes over the gills, which are suspended between the mouth cavity and the operculum. Each gill is made of two rows of gill filaments, which are extremely thin membranes sticking out into the water flow. Each of the gill filaments is composed of rows upon rows of lamellae, which are thin, disc-like membranes loaded with a capillary network. The water flows across the lamellae, and oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged directly across the capillary membrane. The capillaries are situated to take best advantage of the water flow; fish can actually extract up to 85% of available oxygen out of the water. Since water contains only 2-5% of the available oxygen that air at sea level does, such a high efficiency is extremely important. \n\nFrom the gills, the deoxygenated water passes out the operculum, and the oxygenated blood joins the circulatory system. Despite the efficiency, some fish require more oxygen than others. This helps to explain why some fish thrive in specific habitats. For example, trout prefer northern streams because the cool water of the streams tends to retain dissolved oxygen, and the active trout need the extra oxygen. Carp, on the other hand, are sluggish and do not need as much oxygen, which is why carp can thrive in warm, relatively stagnant ponds, such as ornamental ponds. Goldfish, unlike most f
261792
they get ridiculous weird infections, such as fungal infections, which normally would not be able to infect humans, also pneumocystic carini infections of the lungs presenting as a pneumonia are quite often
695718
There are several types of pneumonia. Below is a breif overview of each. Also I will include a detailed description of pneumonia. Hope This helps. The short answer is pneumonia, the real answer, what type of pneumonia. Also, many people refer to the "Flu" as pneumonia which it is NOT!\n\nWHAT IS PNEUMONIA?\n\nPneumonia is a serious infection and/or inflammation of your lungs. The air sacs in the lungs fill with pus and other liquid. Oxygen has trouble reaching your blood. If there is too little oxygen in your blood, your body cells can't work properly. Because of this and spreading infection through the body pneumonia can cause death.\n  \nPneumonia can have over 30 different causes.  \nUntil 1936, pneumonia was the No.1 cause of death in the U.S. Since then, the use of antibiotics brought it under control. In 2003, pneumonia and influenza combined ranked as the seventh leading cause of death.1 \n\nPneumonia affects your lungs in two ways. Lobar pneumonia affects a section (lobe) of a lung. Bronchial pneumonia (or bronchopneumonia) affects patches throughout both lungs.\n\nCAUSES OF PNEUMONIA\n\nPneumonia is not a single disease. It can have over 30 different causes. There are five main causes of pneumonia:\n\n• Bacteria\n\n• Viruses\n\n• Mycoplasmas\n\n• Other infectious agents, such as fungi -- including pneumocystis\n\n• Various chemicals\n\nBACTERIAL PNEUMONIA\n\nBacterial pneumonia can attack anyone from infants through the elderly. Alcoholics, the debilitated, post-operative patients, people with respiratory diseases or viral infections and people who have weakened immune systems are at greater risk.\n\nPneumonia bacteria are present in some healthy throats. When body defenses are weakened in some way, by illness, old age, malnutrition, general debility or impaired immunity, the bacteria can multiply and cause serious damage. Usually, when a person's resistance is lowered, bacteria work their way into the lungs and inflame the air sacs.\n\nThe tissue of part of a lobe of the lung, an entire lobe, or even most of the lung's five lobes becomes completely filled with liquid (this is called "consolidation"). The infection quickly spreads through the bloodstream and the whole body is invaded.\n\nThe organism streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. It is one form of pneumonia for which a vaccine is available.\n\nSymptoms: The onset of bacterial pneumonia can vary from gradual to sudden. In the most severe cases, the patient may experience shaking chills, chattering teeth, severe chest pain, and a cough that produces rust-colored or greenish mucus.\n\nA person's temperature may rise as high as 105 degrees F. The patient sweats profusely, and breathing and pulse rate increase rapidly. Lips and nailbeds may have a bluish color due to lack of oxygen in the blood. A patient's mental state may be confused or delirious.\n\nVIRAL PNEUMONIA\n\nHalf of all pneumonias are believed to be caused by viruses. More and more viruses are being identified as the cause of respiratory infection, and though most attack the upper respiratory tract, some produce pneumonia, especially in children. Most of these pneumonias are not serious and last a short time but some may be.\n\nInfection with the influenza virus may be severe and occasionally fatal. The virus invades the lungs and multiplies, but there are almost no physical signs of lung tissue becoming filled with fluid. It finds many of its victims among those who have pre-existing heart or lung disease or are pregnant.\n\nSymptoms: The initial symptoms of viral pneumonia are the same as influenza symptoms: fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within 12 to 36 hours, there is increasing breathlessness; the cough becomes worse and produces a small amount of mucus. There is a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips.\n\nIn extreme cases, the patient has a desperate need for air and extreme
242164
Pneumonia..........usually cough, sometimes dry cough or sometimes with sputum production. Could also have shortness of breath. Could have increased body temperature.
471888
What is pneumonia?\n\nPneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs which is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, one third of all people who developed pneumonia subsequently died from the infection. Currently, over 3 million people develop pneumonia each year in the United States. Over a half a million of these people are admitted to a hospital for treatment. Although most of these people recover, approximately five per cent will die from pneumonia. Pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.\nPneumonia Illustration\n\nHow do people "catch pneumonia?"\n\nSome cases of pneumonia are contracted by breathing in small droplets that contain the organisms that can cause pneumonia. These droplets get into the air when a person infected with these germs coughs or sneezes. In other cases, pneumonia is caused when bacteria or viruses that are normally present in the mouth, throat, or nose inadvertently enter the lung. During sleep it is quite common for people to aspirate secretions from the mouth, throat, or nose. Normally, the body's reflex response (coughing back up the secretions) and immune system will prevent the aspirated organisms from causing pneumonia. However, if a person is in a weakened condition from another illness, a severe pneumonia can develop. People with recent viral infections, lung disease, heart disease, and swallowing problems, as well as alcoholics, drug users and those who have suffered a stroke or seizure are at higher risk for developing pneumonia than the general population.\n\nOnce organisms enter the lungs, they usually settle in the air sacs of the lung where they rapidly grow in number. This area of the lung then becomes filled with fluid and pus as the body attempts to fight off the infection. \n\nWhat are pneumonia symptoms?\n\nMost people who develop pneumonia initially have symptoms of a cold which are then followed by a high fever (sometimes as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit), shaking chills, and a cough with sputum production. The sputum is usually discolored and sometimes bloody. Patients may become short of breath. Chest pain may develop if the outer aspects of the lung are involved. This pain is usually sharp and worsens when taking a deep breath, known as pleuritic pain.\n\nIn other cases of pneumonia, there can be a slow onset of symptoms. A worsening cough, headaches, and muscle aches may be the only symptoms. In some people with pneumonia, coughing is not a major symptom because the infection is located in areas of the lung away from the larger airways. At times, the individual's skin color may change and become dusky or purplish (a condition known as “cyanosis”) due to their blood being poorly oxygenated.\n\nChildren and babies who develop pneumonia often do not have any specific signs of a chest infection, but develop a fever, appear quite ill, and can become lethargic. Elderly people may also have few symptoms with pneumonia.\n\nHow is pneumonia diagnosed?\n\nPneumonia may be suspected when the doctor examines the patient and hears coarse breathing or crackling sounds when listening to a portion of the chest with a stethoscope. There may be wheezing, or the sounds of breathing may be faint in a particular area of the chest. A chest x-ray is usually ordered to confirm the diagnosis of pneumonia.\n\nSputum samples can be collected and examined under the microscope. If the pneumonia is caused by bacteria, they can often be detected by this examination. A sample of the sputum can be grown in special incubators, and the offending bacteria can be subsequently identified. It is important to understand that the sputum specimen must contain little saliva from the mouth and be delivered to the laboratory fairly quickly. Otherwise, overgrowth of non-infecting bacteria may predominate.\n\nA blood test that measures white blood cell count (WBC) may be performed. An individual’s white blood cell count can
250138
Symptoms of pneumonia vary, depending on the age of the child and the cause of the pneumonia. Some common symptoms include: \n\nfever \nchills \ncough \nunusually rapid breathing \nbreathing with grunting or wheezing sounds \nlabored breathing that makes a child's rib muscles retract (when muscles under the rib cage or between ribs draw inward with each breath) \nvomiting \nchest pain \nabdominal pain \ndecreased activity \nloss of appetite (in older children) or poor feeding (in infants) \nin extreme cases, bluish or gray color of the lips and fingernails \n\nGo to a doctor- they will be able to let you know for definate. If you feel unable to work- I suggest you don't go- you might make yourself feel worse.\nHope you get better soon x