Brucella Species Survey in Polar Bears (Ursus Maritimus) of Northern Alaska

O’Hara, Todd M.; Holcomb, Darce; Elzer, Philip H.; Estepp, Jessica; Perry, Quinesha L.; Hagius, Sue D.; Kirk, Cassandra M.

doi:10.7589/0090-3558-46.3.687

Cited by 55 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…37 Polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) on the Alaskan North Slope have approximately 10% seroprevalence; however, it is unclear if the exposure is via a terrestrial or marine source. 30 Brucella antibodies were rare 29 or not detected 5 in the Pacific walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ). Unfortunately, the true level of exposure is often difficult to ascertain as there are large gaps in knowledge regarding the performance of different serologic assays in many marine mammals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brucella placentitis and seroprevalence in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska

et al. 2014

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Brucella species infect a wide range of hosts with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. In mammals, one of the most significant consequences of Brucella infection is reproductive failure. There is evidence of Brucella exposure in many species of marine mammals, but the outcome of infection is often challenging to determine. The eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals (NFSs, Callorhinus ursinus) has declined significantly, spawning research into potential causes for this trend, including investigation into reproductive health. The objective of the current study was to determine if NFSs on St. Paul Island, Alaska have evidence of Brucella exposure or infection. Archived DNA extracted from placentas (n = 119) and serum (n = 40) samples were available for testing by insertion sequence (IS) 711 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the Brucella microagglutination test (BMAT), respectively. As well, placental tissue was available for histologic examination. Six (5%) placentas were positive by PCR, and a single animal had severe placentitis. Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis profiles were highly clustered and closely related to other Brucella pinnipedialis isolates. A single animal was positive on BMAT, and 12 animals had titers within the borderline range; 1 borderline animal was positive by PCR on serum. The findings suggest that NFSs on the Pribilof Islands are exposed to Brucella and that the organism has the ability to cause severe placental disease. Given the population trend of the NFS, and the zoonotic nature of this pathogen, further investigation into the epidemiology of this disease is recommended.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brucella placentitis and seroprevalence in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska

et al. 2014

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“…This study is an extension of a previous assessment of exposure of infectious agents in this declining harbor seal population of GBNP [11], our work on brucellosis in polar bears [22] and moose ( Alces alces) [23,24], and of other investigators working on Alaska mammals [12,25]. In the previous GBNP study that used the same serum samples as the present study, antibodies to Leptospira ssp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Assay dependence of Brucella antibody prevalence in a declining Alaskan harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) population

2013

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BackgroundBrucella is a group of bacteria that causes brucellosis, which can affect population health and reproductive success in many marine mammals. We investigated the serological prevalence of antibodies against Brucella bacteria in a declining harbor seal population in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska.ResultsPrevalence ranged from 16 to 74 percent for those tests detecting antibodies, indicating that harbor seals in Glacier Bay have been exposed to Brucella bacteria. However, the actual level of serological prevalence could not be determined because results were strongly assay-dependent.ConclusionsThis study reinforces the need to carefully consider assay choice when comparing different studies on the prevalence of anti–Brucella antibodies in pinnipeds and further highlights the need for species- or taxon-specific assay validation for both pathogen and host species.

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“…Brucellosis was confirmed in 11 (38%) of 29 seemingly healthy hooded seals (Cystophora cristata)captured in their natural habitat in the northern Atlantic Sea and Greenland [28]. Brucellosis antibodies were confirmed in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in Alaska, in the range of 6.8% to 18.5% of processed samples [32].…”

Section: Brucella Cetimentioning

confidence: 89%

Brucellosis in marine mammals, with special emphasis on the Republic of Croatia

Cvetnić¹,

Duvnjak²,

Đuras³

et al. 2017

Rad Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti

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SummaryAfter almost two decades of research and evidence of brucellosis in marine mammals, it has become widely known that this disease is prevalent in marine mammals on a global scale. Positive animals have been found in the northern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and in the Arctic, including the Barents Sea. Infected or exposed animals have been detected along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America, off the coasts of Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, the Solomon Islands, and in the Antarctic Ocean. Brucellosis most commonly occurs in the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), followed by the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), shortbeaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). A positive serological reaction has been confirmed in 35 species of whales and 14 species of seals, two subspecies of sea otters, one species of freshwater otter and the polar bear. To date, brucellosis has been found in marine mammals in the Mediterranean Sea in Italy and Spain. The first research on brucellosis in dolphins in the Republic of Croatia began in 2015. Brucella sp. was isolated from the lymph node of a bottlenose dolphin found dead in the Poreč region. This was the first evidence of brucellosis in dolphins in the Adriatic Sea. The isolated sample was identified as Brucella ceti strain ST27, making this the first record of this strain in Europe, which may present a significant threat to human health.

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Brucella Species Survey in Polar Bears (Ursus Maritimus) of Northern Alaska

Cited by 55 publications

References 34 publications

Brucella placentitis and seroprevalence in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska

Brucella placentitis and seroprevalence in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska

Assay dependence of Brucella antibody prevalence in a declining Alaskan harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) population

Brucellosis in marine mammals, with special emphasis on the Republic of Croatia

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