The following recent Open Access papers in Diseases Aquatic Organisms SPECIAL 3:Marine vertebrate zoonoses ** can be downloaded at http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v81/n1/ Prevalence and characterization of /Salmonella /spp. among marine animals in the Channel Islands, California R. A. Stoddard^1,2, *, R. L. DeLong^3 , B. A. Byrne^2 , S. Jang^2 , Frances M. D. Gulland^1 ^1 The Marine Mammal Center, 1065 Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, California 94965, USA ^2 Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA ^3 National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Bldg. 4, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, Washington 96115, USA <mailto:stoddardr@tmmc.org> ABSTRACT: /Salmonella enterica/ is a zoonotic pathogen that has been isolated from free-ranging marine mammals throughout the world, with animals in the Channel Islands of California (USA) showing the highest prevalence. The goal of this study was to determine prevalence, antimicrobial sensitivity and genetic similarity using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of /Salmonella/ in several non-domestic animal species on San Miguel and San Nicolas Islands. Fecal samples were collected from 90 California sea lion /Zalophus californianus/ pups, 30 northern elephant seal /Mirounga angustirostris/ pups and 87 western gulls /Larus occidentalis/ in the Channel Islands and 59 adult male sea lions in Puget Sound, WA (USA). /Salmonella/ were isolated, identified and serotyped, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and PFGE. Of the California sea lion pups that were sampled on the islands, 21% (n = 19) were positive for /Salmonella/, whereas no adults males in Puget Sound were positive. Of the northern elephant seal pups sampled, 87% (n = 26) were harboring /Salmonella/. Only 9% (n = 8) of western gulls were shedding /Salmonella/, with one of these gulls harboring the only antimicrobial resistant isolate. The serotypes found in these animals were Enteritidis, Montevideo, Newport, Reading, and Saint Paul. The only serotype that showed variation on PFGE was Newport. The pinnipeds of the Channel Islands harbor /Salmonella/ at a higher prevalence than pinnipeds from other geographic areas observed in previous studies. Researchers and veterinarians should exercise increased caution when working with these animals due to the zoonotic potential of /Salmonella/. Victims or vectors: a survey of marine vertebrate zoonoses from coastal waters of the Northwest Atlantic Andrea L. Bogomolni^1 , Rebecca J. Gast^1 , Julie C. Ellis^2 , Mark Dennett^1 , Katie R. Pugliares^3 , Betty J. Lentell^4 , Michael J. Moore^1, * ^1 Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA ^2 Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, Massachusetts 01536, USA ^3 Cape Cod Stranding Network, a project of IFAW, 290 Summer Street, Yarmouthport, Massachusetts 02675, USA ^4 National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Observer Program, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA <mailto:mmoore@whoi.edu> ABSTRACT: Surveillance of zoonotic pathogens in marine birds and mammals in the Northwest Atlantic revealed a diversity of zoonotic agents. We found amplicons to sequences from /Brucella /spp., /Leptospira /spp./, Giardia /spp. and /Cryptosporidium /spp. in both marine mammals and birds. Avian influenza was detected in a harp seal and a herring gull. Routine aerobic and anaerobic culture showed a broad range of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics. Of 1460 isolates, 797 were tested for resistance, and 468 were resistant to one or more anti-microbials. 73% (341/468) were resistant to 1–4 drugs and 27% (128/468) resistant to 5–13 drugs. The high prevalence of resistance suggests that many of these isolates could have been acquired from medical and agricultural sources and inter-microbial gene transfer. Combining birds and mammals, 45% (63/141) of stranded and 8% (2/26) of by-caught animals in this study exhibited histopathological and/or gross pathological findings associated with the presence of these pathogens. Our findings indicate that marine mammals and birds in the Northwest Atlantic are reservoirs for potentially zoonotic pathogens, which they may transmit to beachgoers, fishermen and wildlife health personnel. Conversely, zoonotic pathogens found in marine vertebrates may have been acquired via contamination of coastal waters by sewage, run-off and agricultural and medical waste. In either case these animals are not limited by political boundaries and are therefore important indicators of regional and global ocean health. Molecular characterization of /Giardia intestinalis/ haplotypes in marine animals: variation and zoonotic potential Erica Lasek-Nesselquist^1,2, *, Andrea L. Bogomolni^3 , Rebecca J. Gast^3 , David Mark Welch^2 , Julie C. Ellis^4 , Mitchell L. Sogin^2 , Michael J. Moore^3 ^1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA ^2 Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA ^3 Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA ^4 Department of Environmental and Population Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts 01536, USA <mailto:erica_lasek-nesselquist@brown.edu> ABSTRACT: /Giardia intestinalis/ is a microbial eukaryotic parasite that causes diarrheal disease in humans and other vertebrates worldwide. The negative effect on quality of life and economics caused by /G. intestinalis/ may be increased by its potential status as a zoonosis, or a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. The zoonotic potential of /G. intestinalis/ has been implied for over 2 decades, with human-infecting genotypes (belonging to the 2 major subgroups, Assemblages A and B) occurring in wildlife and domesticated animals. There are recent reports of /G. intestinalis/ in shellfish, seals, sea lions and whales, suggesting that marine animals are also potential reservoirs of human disease. However, the prevalence, genetic diversity and effect of /G. intestinalis/ in marine environments and the role that marine animals play in transmission of this parasite to humans are relatively unexplored. Here, we provide the first thorough molecular characterization of /G. intestinalis/ in marine vertebrates. Using a multi-locus sequencing approach, we identify human-infecting /G. intestinalis/ haplotypes of both Assemblages A and B in the fecal material of dolphins, porpoises, seals, herring gulls /Larus argentatus/, common eiders /Somateria mollissima/ and a thresher shark /Alopias vulpinus/. Our results indicate that /G. intestinalis/ is prevalent in marine ecosystems, and a wide range of marine hosts capable of harboring zoonotic forms of this parasite exist. The presence of /G. intestinalis/ in marine ecosystems raises concerns about how this disease might be transmitted among different host species. Incidence of /Brucella/ species in marine mammals of the German North Sea E. Prenger-Berninghoff^1, *, U. Siebert^2 , M. Stede^3 , A. König^1,4 , R. Weiß^1 , G. Baljer^1 ^1 Institut für Hygiene und Infektionskrankheiten der Tiere der Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Frankfurter Strasse 85–89, 35392 Giessen, Germany ^2 Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum Westküste der Christian-Albrecht-Universität Kiel, Hafentörn 1, 25761 Büsum, Germany ^3 Staatliches Veterinäruntersuchungsamt für Fische und Fischwaren Cuxhaven, Lentzkai 1, 27472 Cuxhaven, Germany ^4 /Present address:/ Landesuntersuchungsamt Rheinland-Pfalz, Blücherstr. 34, 56073 Koblenz, Germany <mailto:ellen.prenger-berninghoff@vetmed.uni-giessen.de> ABSTRACT: In this study, organ samples from 426 common seals /Phoca vitulina/, 298 harbour porpoises /Phocoena phocoena/, 34 grey seals /Halichoerus grypus/ and 10 other marine mammals were assessed for the presence of /Brucella/ species. Forty-seven common seals, 2 harbour porpoises and 1 grey seal were found to be positive for these bacteria. A total of 91 /Brucella/ strains were successfully isolated, due to the fact that /Brucella/ spp. were found in more than one organ sample in 15 animals. The primary organ in which the bacteria were present was the lung. In addition, 2 strains were isolated from lungworms (/Parafilaroides/ spp.). Forty-nine of the isolated strains were selected for further analysis using conventional phenotyping methods. Molecular characterisation was carried out by analysing the /IS711/ and /omp2/ loci. With respect to the distribution of the /IS711 /loci in the genome, the 49 field isolates differed strongly from the terrestrial /Brucella/ species and marginally from the marine /Brucella/ reference strain NCTC12890. Based on the results of the PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) investigation of the /omp2/ locus, the majority of the /Brucella/ field isolates were classified as /B. pinnipediae/, recently proposed /B. pinnipedialis/, possessing 1 /omp2a/ gene and 1 /omp2b /gene. Two field isolates revealed the presence of 2 /omp2a/ genes, as has been described for /Brucella ovis/. To our knowledge, these results confirm for the first time the presence of /Brucella/ species in the marine mammal population of the German North Sea. These findings highlight the need for additional research on the relevance of these /Brucella/ species for marine hosts and their environment. Herpes simplex-like infection in a bottlenose dolphin stranded in the Canary Islands F. Esperón^1, *, A. Fernández^2 , J. M. Sánchez-Vizcaíno^3 ^1 Animal Health Research Centre (CISA-INIA), Ctra Algete a El Casar s/n, Madrid, Spain ^2 Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Canary Islands ^3 Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UCM Madrid, Avda Puerta de Hierro s/n, Madrid <mailto:fernando@sanidadanimal.info> ABSTRACT: A bottlenose dolphin, stranded in the Canary Islands in 2001 exhibited non-suppurative encephalitis. No molecular detection of cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) was found, but a herpesviral-specific band of 250 bp was detected in the lung and brain. The sequenced herpesviral PCR product was compared with GenBank sequences, obtaining 98% homology (p-distance of 0.02) with /Human herpesvirus 1/ (herpes simplex virus 1 or HSV-1). This is the first report of a herpes simplex-like infection in a stranded dolphin. Viral and bacterial serology of six free-ranging bearded seals /Erignathus barbatus/ Paul P. Calle^1, *, Dana J. Seagars^2,6 , Catherine McClave^3 , Dennis Senne^4 , Carol House^5 , James A. House^5 ^1 Global Health Programs, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York 10460-1099, USA ^2 US Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, USA ^3 New York Aquarium, Wildlife Conservation Society, Surf Avenue & West 8th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11224, USA ^4 National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA ^5 Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, USDA, APHIS-VS-NVSL, Plum Island, New York 11944, USA ^6 /Present address:/ US Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 605 W. Fourth Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99501, USA <mailto:pcalle@wcs.org> ABSTRACT: Serum or heparinized plasma samples were obtained from 3 male (2 adult and 1 weaned calf) and 3 adult female free-ranging bearded seals /Erignathus barbatus/ in May of 1994, 1995, or 1996. Blood samples were obtained from animals taken in subsistence hunts near St. Lawrence Island, Alaska and screened for antibodies to a suite of bacteria and viruses potentially pathogenic for pinnipeds and/or humans. No samples had detectable antibodies to /Brucella /spp., Phocine distemper virus, influenza A virus or caliciviruses (San Miguel sea lion virus strains 1, 2, and 4 to 13, vesicular exanthema of swine serotypes A48, B51, C52, D53, E54, F55, G55, H54, I55, J56, K54, 1934B, and Tillamook and Walrus calicivirus). One seal had a low titer of 100 to /Leptospira interrogans/ serovar /grippotyphosa/. Health risks for marine mammal workers Tania D. Hunt^1 , Michael H. Ziccardi^1 , Frances M. D. Gulland^2 , Pamela K. Yochem^3 , David W. Hird^1,4 , Teresa Rowles^5 , Jonna A. K. Mazet^1,4, * ^1 Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, and ^4 Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA ^2 The Marine Mammal Center, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Sausalito, California 94965, USA ^3 Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, 2595 Ingraham Street, San Diego, California 92109, USA ^5 National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources (F/PR2), East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA <mailto:jkmazet@ucdavis.edu> ABSTRACT: Marine mammals can be infected with zoonotic pathogens and show clinical signs of disease, or be asymptomatic carriers of such disease agents. While isolated cases of human disease from contact with marine mammals have been reported, no evaluation of the risks associated with marine mammal work has been attempted. Therefore, we designed a survey to estimate the risk of work-related injuries and illnesses in marine mammal workers and volunteers. The 17-question survey asked respondents to describe their contact with marine mammals, injuries sustained, and/or illnesses acquired during their period of marine mammal exposure. Most respondents, 88% (423/483), were researchers and rehabilitators. Of all respondents, 50% (243/483) reported suffering an injury caused by a marine mammal, and 23% (110/483) reported having a skin rash or reaction. Marine mammal work-related illnesses commonly reported included: ‘seal finger’ (/Mycoplasma/ spp. or /Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae/), conjunctivitis, viral dermatitis, bacterial dermatitis, and non-specific contact dermatitis. Although specific diagnoses could not be confirmed by a physician through this study, severe illnesses were reported and included tuberculosis, leptospirosis, brucellosis, and serious sequelae to seal finger. Risk factors associated with increased odds of injury and illness included prolonged and frequent exposure to marine mammals; direct contact with live marine mammals; and contact with tissue, blood, and excretions. Diagnosis of zoonotic disease was often aided by veterinarians; therefore, workers at risk should be encouraged to consult with a marine mammal veterinarian as well as a physician, especially if obtaining a definitive diagnosis for an illness becomes problematic.