Diseases and parasites

Stimmelmayr, Raphaela; Rotstein, David S.; Sheffield, Gay; Brower, Harry; George, J. C.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818969-6.00030-3

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 79 publications

(96 reference statements)

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“…Blood samples from 339 narwhal samples taken from 1984–2003 confirmed antibody presence to morbillivirus [ 100 ]. The bowhead whale should be considered at risk given that morbillivirus has been observed in other mysticetes, though no confirmed reports of exposure or disease exist in bowhead whales at this time [ 289 , 290 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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: 99%

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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“…In dogs and cats, pancreatitis leading to leakage of pancreatic enzymes and subsequent abdominal fat saponification has been identified as a common process resulting in abdominal fat necrosis (Schwarz et al 2000, Adamama-Moraitou et al 2008). Pancreatic tissue was not collected from the 3 whales with abdominal masses, thus we cannot exclude the presence of pancreatitis; however, pancreatic lesions in cluding pancreatitis appear to be uncommon (~3.5%) in bowhead whales (Stimmelmayr et al 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite their extreme longevity, few disease conditions have been observed during post-mortem examination of subsistence-harvested Bering−Chukchi− Beaufort Seas (BCB) bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus (Stimmelmayr et al 2021). Here, we report the incidence, sex and age distribution, and gross and histopathological characteristics of encapsulated fat necrosis that presented as subcutaneous (interface between muscle tissue and blubber), abdominal, and thoracic masses in 7 bowhead whales harvested for subsistence by Alaskan Inupiaq between 1996 and 2015 near the coastal communities of Utqiaġvik (71.29°N, 156.79°W), Kaktovik (70.13°N, 143.62°W), and Wainwright (70.63°N, 160.03°W), Alaska, USA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subcutaneous, abdominal, and thoracic encapsulated fat necrosis in bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus from Alaska, USA

2021

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We describe a case series of encapsulated fat necrosis with subcutaneous, abdominal, and thoracic locations in 7 subsistence-harvested bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus. Masses had a variably-dense fibrous capsule surrounding necrotic adipocytes and calcium salts (saponification). One animal also had prior concussive injury, pleural fibrosis, and hepatic lipoma; the other animals had no significant findings. The described condition is uncommon in bowhead whales, with 7/575 (1.2%) observed from 1996 to 2015. The exact mechanisms of development of encapsulated fat necrosis in bowhead whales remain to be determined. Encapsulated fat necrosis has been reported in other baleen whales, humans, and cows. It is usually an incidental finding during post-mortem examination that needs to be differentiated from neoplastic and inflammatory lesions, as the latter may have public health implications. Assessment of further cases in bowhead whales and other baleen whales is warranted to better understand their pathogenesis.

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“…The participation of Indigenous people from the outset, in disease monitoring, tissue sampling and data collection more generally, is vital and an expectation under modern treaties such as the Nunavut Agreement. Early and regular Indigenous participation in these efforts is bound to improve the likelihood of detecting zoonotic risks as they emerge, and provide a more holistic understanding of such risks in the rapidly changing Arctic (Keatts et al, 2021;Stimmelmayr et al, 2021). Particularly with increasing proposals for new and expanded industrial development, and the rising potential for ecological impacts from climate change, the need for good baseline data becomes ever more critical to inform environmental impact assessments.…”

Section: Sustainability Of the Huntmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bowhead whales and whaling in the central and eastern Canadian Arctic, 1970-2021

Reeves

Lee²

2022

JCRM

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The history of bowhead whaling and hunt management in the eastern and central Canadian Arctic is reviewed. Subsistence hunting of bowhead whales by Inuit resumed in the 1990s under co-management arrangements that were part of land-claims settlement agreements. Removals by whaling in both Canada and Greenland have been accounted for in IWC Scientific Committee assessments of the Eastern Canada–West Greenland (EC-WG) stock, but Canada, having withdrawn from IWC membership in 1982, has no legal obligation to consider IWC management advice. From 1994-2021 the total reported catch of bowheads in the central and eastern Canadian Arctic was 39 (not including struck-and-lost whales or whales that died from incidental entanglement in fishing gear). Sixteen different communities, most of which had a long history of bowhead whaling prior to the arrival of commercial whalers, took at least one bowhead over that 27-year period. More than half of the recent catches have been by the communities of Igloolik, Sanijarak, Naujaat and Coral Harbour, all in the Foxe Basin–Repulse Bay–northern Hudson Bay region where at least occasional hunting of bowheads by local people had persisted until well into the 1970s. Greenland’s reported landed catches totaled from 2009-2015, with no successful hunts reported since 2015. Well over a third of the whales landed by both countries combined have been mature females, the most valuable class in terms of potential for population increase. Several factors in addition to hunting and entanglement in fishing gear are likely affecting EC-WG bowheads, including increased exposure to killer whale predation (linked to the massive reduction in sea ice) and other changes in ecological conditions driven primarily by climate change (e.g. more industrial activity, more vessel traffic, more noise). Recent analyses suggest the EC-WG stock of bowheads has grown considerably since the end of commercial whaling, with best estimates of current abundance in the range of 6000-7000 individuals. Even though the population appears capable of sustaining present levels of removal and disturbance, it is important for monitoring efforts to continue in both Canada and Greenland, with regular Indigenous participation. Local observations and traditional knowledge can be valuable sources of information on animal health, behaviour and phenology.

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Diseases and parasites

Cited by 7 publications

References 79 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

Subcutaneous, abdominal, and thoracic encapsulated fat necrosis in bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus from Alaska, USA

Bowhead whales and whaling in the central and eastern Canadian Arctic, 1970-2021

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