RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASE IN STRANDED ATLANTIC HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are a common species admitted to marine mammal rehabilitation facilities. As important indicators of marine ecosystem health, monitoring trends of disease in harbor seal populations is critical. However, few studies have evaluated neurologic disease in this species. The...
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American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
2023
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ftbioone:10.1638/2021-0113 2023-07-30T04:03:59+02:00 RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASE IN STRANDED ATLANTIC HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST Sarah E. Wright Josue Díaz-Delgado Michelle R. Rivard Jennifer E. Flower Gayle Sirpenski Allison D. Tuttle Sarah E. Wright Josue Díaz-Delgado Michelle R. Rivard Jennifer E. Flower Gayle Sirpenski Allison D. Tuttle world 2023-01-05 text/HTML https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0113 en eng American Association of Zoo Veterinarians doi:10.1638/2021-0113 All rights reserved. https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0113 Text 2023 ftbioone https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0113 2023-07-09T10:54:18Z Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are a common species admitted to marine mammal rehabilitation facilities. As important indicators of marine ecosystem health, monitoring trends of disease in harbor seal populations is critical. However, few studies have evaluated neurologic disease in this species. The general objective of this study was to retrospectively review and delineate neurologic disease in free-ranging Atlantic harbor seals (P. vitulina concolor) that stranded along the New England (United States) coast and entered a rehabilitation facility between 2006 and 2019. Any Atlantic harbor seal that stranded live along the New England coast during the study period and was diagnosed with neurologic disease on either antemortem or postmortem evaluation was included; medical records and pathologic reports were reviewed. From 211 records, 24 animals met the inclusion criteria. Prevalence of neurologic disease was 11% in the study population and six major categories of neurologic disease were identified including: inflammatory (54%), idiopathic (33%), trauma (4%), congenital (4%), and degenerative (4%). Of the seals diagnosed with neurologic disease, 13 (54%) seals died during rehabilitation, 10 (42%) seals were euthanized, and 1 (4%) seal survived to release. Unique cases seen included a seal with Dandy-Walker-like malformation and another seal with histopathologic findings compatible with neuroaxonal dystrophy, a degenerative process that has not been previously reported in marine mammals. This study contributes to the overall knowledge of the health of free-ranging Atlantic harbor seals and may aid clinicians in characterizing neurologic conditions that may be present in seals undergoing rehabilitation. Text harbor seal Phoca vitulina BioOne Online Journals Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 53 4 |
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Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are a common species admitted to marine mammal rehabilitation facilities. As important indicators of marine ecosystem health, monitoring trends of disease in harbor seal populations is critical. However, few studies have evaluated neurologic disease in this species. The general objective of this study was to retrospectively review and delineate neurologic disease in free-ranging Atlantic harbor seals (P. vitulina concolor) that stranded along the New England (United States) coast and entered a rehabilitation facility between 2006 and 2019. Any Atlantic harbor seal that stranded live along the New England coast during the study period and was diagnosed with neurologic disease on either antemortem or postmortem evaluation was included; medical records and pathologic reports were reviewed. From 211 records, 24 animals met the inclusion criteria. Prevalence of neurologic disease was 11% in the study population and six major categories of neurologic disease were identified including: inflammatory (54%), idiopathic (33%), trauma (4%), congenital (4%), and degenerative (4%). Of the seals diagnosed with neurologic disease, 13 (54%) seals died during rehabilitation, 10 (42%) seals were euthanized, and 1 (4%) seal survived to release. Unique cases seen included a seal with Dandy-Walker-like malformation and another seal with histopathologic findings compatible with neuroaxonal dystrophy, a degenerative process that has not been previously reported in marine mammals. This study contributes to the overall knowledge of the health of free-ranging Atlantic harbor seals and may aid clinicians in characterizing neurologic conditions that may be present in seals undergoing rehabilitation. |
author2 |
Sarah E. Wright Josue Díaz-Delgado Michelle R. Rivard Jennifer E. Flower Gayle Sirpenski Allison D. Tuttle |
format |
Text |
author |
Sarah E. Wright Josue Díaz-Delgado Michelle R. Rivard Jennifer E. Flower Gayle Sirpenski Allison D. Tuttle |
spellingShingle |
Sarah E. Wright Josue Díaz-Delgado Michelle R. Rivard Jennifer E. Flower Gayle Sirpenski Allison D. Tuttle RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASE IN STRANDED ATLANTIC HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST |
author_facet |
Sarah E. Wright Josue Díaz-Delgado Michelle R. Rivard Jennifer E. Flower Gayle Sirpenski Allison D. Tuttle |
author_sort |
Sarah E. Wright |
title |
RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASE IN STRANDED ATLANTIC HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST |
title_short |
RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASE IN STRANDED ATLANTIC HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST |
title_full |
RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASE IN STRANDED ATLANTIC HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST |
title_fullStr |
RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASE IN STRANDED ATLANTIC HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST |
title_full_unstemmed |
RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASE IN STRANDED ATLANTIC HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST |
title_sort |
retrospective review of neurologic disease in stranded atlantic harbor seals (phoca vitulina concolor) along the new england coast |
publisher |
American Association of Zoo Veterinarians |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0113 |
op_coverage |
world |
genre |
harbor seal Phoca vitulina |
genre_facet |
harbor seal Phoca vitulina |
op_source |
https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0113 |
op_relation |
doi:10.1638/2021-0113 |
op_rights |
All rights reserved. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0113 |
container_title |
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine |
container_volume |
53 |
container_issue |
4 |
_version_ |
1772815149231505408 |