I am pleased to announce the publication: Isolation, identification and prevalence of oral mycoplasmas in North American pinnipeds This study reports the occurrence of mycoplasmas (bacteria) in the oral cavity of Canadian phocids and Californian pinnipeds. These findings demonstrate a risk of acquiring mycoplasmal infections, the putative cause of the occupational disease called seal finger, when handling infected live or dead pinnipeds. ABSTRACT: Seal finger is a zoonotic infection that humans acquire from pinnipeds, during dissection, handling or from trauma. This infection is not uncommon among Canadian biologists working with wild pinnipeds. The etiological agent is believed to be mycoplasma bacteria. No comprehensive data on prevalence of oral mycoplasmas in pinnipeds are available. To investigate whether pinnipeds carry oral mycoplasmas, wild (n = 148) and captive (n = 14) phocids in eastern Canada and pinnipeds (n = 38) in a rehabilitation center in California were sampled from 1996 to 1998. Mycoplasmas were cultured, isolated and identified using IFAT (indirect fluorescent antibody test) in a dedicated mycoplasma laboratory and prevalence by sex, age, age-class and species of seal determined. A total of 23l mycoplasma isolates were obtained from sampled pinnipeds. Three species of Mycoplasma (M. phocicerebrale, M. phocae, M. phocirhinis) were isolated and identified from wild gray (Halichoerus grypus) and Atlantic harbor (Phoca vitulina concolor) seals, Mycoplasma phocicerebrale from wild hooded (Cystophora cristata) and harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) and from captive gray and harbor seals, including new host and geographic reports. In wild seals, prevalence of M. phocicerebrale was 78% (31/40) in gray, 70% (32/46) in hooded, 44% (11/25) in harbor and 22% (8/37) in harp seals. Two species of Mycoplasma (M. phocicerebrale, M. phocirhinis) were isolated and identified from California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), northern elephant (Mirounga angustirostris) and Pacific harbor (Phoca vitulina richardii) seals, also new host and geographic reports. Unidentified Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma were also isolated in wild and captive Canadian and Californian pinnipeds. These new data on the prevalence and identification of oral mycoplasmas in sampled pinnipeds indicates that personnel working with these animals in the field or in captive situations should exercise caution. The study can be accessed at https://jwd.kglmeridian.com/view/journals/jwdi/62/1/article-p51.xml Dr. Lena Measures Retired research scientist (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) lenameasures@gmail.com www.researchgate.net/profile/Lena_Measures