A Serologic Survey of Francisella Tularensis Exposure in Wildlife on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, Usa

Smith, Matthew M.; Hemert, Caroline R. Van; Atwood, Todd C.; Sinnett, David R.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Gustine, Dave D; Adams, Layne G.; Ramey, Andrew M.

doi:10.7589/jwd-d-21-00162

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…It has not been reported in polar bears, most likely due to normal cold temperatures in this species range [ 225 ]. However, a recent study has confirmed Francisella tularensis —a bacterial infection—in polar bears in Alaska, which is transmitted through the bite of an arthropod vector [ 226 ]; the 13% positive seroprevalence in polar bears (n = 83) in this study demonstrates that there is a level of exposure to an unknown arthropod that was previously unrecognised. Expanding host ranges could result in the further expansion of parasites and potential spill-over into novel hosts.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 57%

A Review of Circumpolar Arctic Marine Mammal Health—A Call to Action in a Time of Rapid Environmental Change

et al. 2023

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The impacts of climate change on the health of marine mammals are increasingly being recognised. Given the rapid rate of environmental change in the Arctic, the potential ramifications on the health of marine mammals in this region are a particular concern. There are eleven endemic Arctic marine mammal species (AMMs) comprising three cetaceans, seven pinnipeds, and the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). All of these species are dependent on sea ice for survival, particularly those requiring ice for breeding. As air and water temperatures increase, additional species previously non-resident in Arctic waters are extending their ranges northward, leading to greater species overlaps and a concomitant increased risk of disease transmission. In this study, we review the literature documenting disease presence in Arctic marine mammals to understand the current causes of morbidity and mortality in these species and forecast future disease issues. Our review highlights potential pathogen occurrence in a changing Arctic environment, discussing surveillance methods for 35 specific pathogens, identifying risk factors associated with these diseases, as well as making recommendations for future monitoring for emerging pathogens. Several of the pathogens discussed have the potential to cause unusual mortality events in AMMs. Brucella, morbillivirus, influenza A virus, and Toxoplasma gondii are all of concern, particularly with the relative naivety of the immune systems of endemic Arctic species. There is a clear need for increased surveillance to understand baseline disease levels and address the gravity of the predicted impacts of climate change on marine mammal species.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 57%

A Review of Circumpolar Arctic Marine Mammal Health—A Call to Action in a Time of Rapid Environmental Change

et al. 2023

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“…Positive detections were higher in summer and related to waste accumulation (m 3 ) in the nearest community. Seroprevalence in Arctic fox and polar bears is elevated in the central Arctic relative to the western Arctic 32 , 33 , 49 ; though recent seroprevalence data from Alaskan polar bears suggest that F. tularensis is increasing in the western Arctic 60 . Rodent species are hypothesized to be primary reservoirs for several bacterial pathogens, including F. tularensis 32 , 49 and E. rhusiopathiae 52 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The geographic distribution, and the biotic and abiotic predictors of select zoonotic pathogen detections in Canadian polar bears

Tschritter,

van Coeverden de Groot,

Branigan

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Increasing Arctic temperatures are facilitating the northward expansion of more southerly hosts, vectors, and pathogens, exposing naïve populations to pathogens not typical at northern latitudes. To understand such rapidly changing host–pathogen dynamics, we need sensitive and robust surveillance tools. Here, we use a novel multiplexed magnetic-capture and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) tool to assess a sentinel Arctic species, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus; n = 68), for the presence of five zoonotic pathogens (Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Francisella tularensis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella spp.), and observe associations between pathogen presence and biotic and abiotic predictors. We made two novel detections: the first detection of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex member in Arctic wildlife and the first of E. rhusiopathiae in a polar bear. We found a prevalence of 37% for E. rhusiopathiae, 16% for F. tularensis, 29% for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, 18% for T. gondii, and 75% for Trichinella spp. We also identify associations with bear age (Trichinella spp.), harvest season (F. tularensis and MTBC), and human settlements (E. rhusiopathiae, F. tularensis, MTBC, and Trichinella spp.). We demonstrate that monitoring a sentinel species, the polar bear, could be a powerful tool in disease surveillance and highlight the need to better characterize pathogen distributions and diversity in the Arctic.

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“…Giardia parasites have been detected in ringed ( Pusa hispida ) ( Hughes-Hanks et al, 2005 ) and bearded seals ( Erignathus barbatus ) ( Dixon et al, 2008 ), two important prey species for polar bears ( Rode et al, 2022 ), as well as bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) ( Hughes-Hanks et al, 2005 ), which polar bears commonly scavenge on shore after community harvests in Alaska ( Wilson et al, 2017 ). As polar bears spend increasing amounts of time on land, they may be more frequently exposed to pathogens of terrestrial and/or anthropogenic origin, a pattern that has been observed in the southern Beaufort Sea and among other polar bear populations ( Atwood et al, 2017 ; Pilfold et al, 2021 ; Smith et al, 2022 ). Further surveillance for protozoan parasites is needed to determine whether Giardia or Cryptosporidium pose potential health risks to polar bears.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska

Van Hemert,

Ballweber,

Sinnett

et al. 2023

Food and Waterborne Parasitology

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A Serologic Survey of Francisella Tularensis Exposure in Wildlife on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, Usa

Cited by 6 publications

References 44 publications

A Review of Circumpolar Arctic Marine Mammal Health—A Call to Action in a Time of Rapid Environmental Change

A Review of Circumpolar Arctic Marine Mammal Health—A Call to Action in a Time of Rapid Environmental Change

The geographic distribution, and the biotic and abiotic predictors of select zoonotic pathogen detections in Canadian polar bears

Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska

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