Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. in Northern Elephant Seals
antimicrobial drug sensitivity were determined in northern elephant seals that had not entered the water and seals that were stranded on the California coast. Stranded seals had a higher prevalence of pathogenic bacteria, possibly from terrestrial sources, which were more likely to be resistant. Ali...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.376.5316 http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/12/pdfs/05-0752.pdf |
| Summary: | antimicrobial drug sensitivity were determined in northern elephant seals that had not entered the water and seals that were stranded on the California coast. Stranded seals had a higher prevalence of pathogenic bacteria, possibly from terrestrial sources, which were more likely to be resistant. Alimited number of surveys have shown that pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses) can be infected with zoonotic enteric bacteria, including Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. and that some strains are resistant to antimicrobial drugs (1–3). Because both Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. are important zoonotic organisms, their presence in marine mammal feces raises concerns regarding risks to human health associated with exposure to coastal waters and marine mammals. Another concern is that these bacteria in marine mammals may reflect pollution of the California coast by feces from terrestrial sources, including sewage and runoff that contain domestic animal waste. To address these concerns, more detailed data on bacterial pathogen distribution along the California coast are needed. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) are born on various California beaches and do not leave the beaches for several months after birth (4). Once the seals leave their natal beaches, they are at sea for most of their lives other than during breeding and the annual molt or if they are found “stranded ” (if poor health or injury prevents them from leaving the shore) (5). We investigated the prevalence and antimicrobial drug sensitivity of Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. in northern elephant seals at different sites in California to ascertain the distribution of these bacteria in pinnipeds and determine their potential effect on marine mammal and human health. |
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