Female dolphin died of an "acute bacterial infection," says Dolphinaris Arizona

Laboratory results were published for the dolphin who died at Dolphinaris Arizona in May.

Alia, the female bottlenose, had an "acute bacterial infection" that "spread quickly in her body," according to the facility. "Despite the exhaustive efforts of staff and veterinarians, Alia has succumbed to sepsis, an infection in the bloodstream," said Dolphinaris Arizona in a press release

. excluded valley fever or any other type of fungal infection related to the desert environment. "They said that the infection was an" isolated case "and not contagious to other dolphins or humans."

"Alia's disappearance has deeply saddened her coaches and all of us at Dolphinaris" said Christian Schaeffer of Leon, general manager of Dolphinaris, Arizona, in a written statement, "The time she spent with us has reinforced our commitment to educating and inspiring the public to take care of marine mammals and to help them protect marine mammals in the wild. Our guests tell us that meeting dolphins closely creates lasting bonds and motivates them to become better stewards of the ocean. "

10 year old dolphin guardian noticed that Alia had acted in unusual ways in the days leading up to her death. She is the second dolphin to die in less than a year at the facility.

Bodie, a male bottlenose dolphin, died in September 2017 from a rare muscle disorder, according to the institution. Although in a document reported to the USDA, Bodie's death has been reported as a "fungal infection".

Dolpinaris Arizona opened in October 2016 in Odysea in the Desert Complex near Loop 101 and Via de Ventura, part of the Indian community of Pima-Maricopa Salt River

At Dolphinaris, people pay for different interactive experiences with dolphins both in the water and out of the water. They currently have six dolphins at the facility.