Scubaism

Scientists at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution say they’ve found the first known instance of a human colon disease in whales.

The discovery was made after scientists took tissue samples from lungs, livers, spleens, large intestines and a host of other organs from a group of five melon-headed whales that washed ashore last year on the Treasure Coast in Florida.

Testing on their colons showed the whales suffered from an ailment called collagenous colitis, which causes, among other problems, diarrhea. “That’s a disease that’s really only been in man,” said Harbor Branch scientist Dr. Gregory Bossart. “That’s the first time it has even been described in marine mammals.”

The illness, not usually life-threatening in humans, might be caused by toxins created by the body or drug reactions, according to the research. But just as in humans, the exact cause of the sickness in the whales is unknown.