Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds
Knowledge of the health status and potential effect of disease outbreaks among Southern Ocean fauna may be decisive for its conservation. We assessed the exposure and infection of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella, AFS) and Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonine, SES) to parapoxvirus, Ph...
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2020
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8234da1b9804463db00b3a7cf4810a55 2023-05-15T13:52:25+02:00 Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds Sandra Núñez-Egido Andrew Lowther Ingebjørg H. Nymo Jörn Klein Eva M. Breines Morten Tryland 2020-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v39.3841 https://doaj.org/article/8234da1b9804463db00b3a7cf4810a55 EN eng Norwegian Polar Institute https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3841/12148 https://doaj.org/toc/1751-8369 1751-8369 doi:10.33265/polar.v39.3841 https://doaj.org/article/8234da1b9804463db00b3a7cf4810a55 Polar Research, Vol 39, Iss 0, Pp 1-11 (2020) antarctic fur seal parapoxvirus southern elephant seal southern ocean wildlife disease zoonosis Environmental sciences GE1-350 Oceanography GC1-1581 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v39.3841 2022-12-31T09:43:50Z Knowledge of the health status and potential effect of disease outbreaks among Southern Ocean fauna may be decisive for its conservation. We assessed the exposure and infection of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella, AFS) and Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonine, SES) to parapoxvirus, Phocid alphaherpesvirus-1 (PhHV-1), smooth Brucella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. AFS (n = 65) serum and swab samples, and SES (n = 13) serum samples from the sub--Antarctic island of Bouvetøya (54°25’S, 03°22’E) were collected during two austral summers (2014/15, 2017/18). Three polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests amplifying the DNA polymerase, B2L and GIF parapoxvirus genomic regions were performed, investigating DNA from mucosal swab samples. The glycoprotein B gene was targeted to detect PhHV-1 viral DNA. Sera were assayed for T. gondii and smooth Brucella spp. antibodies with indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Parapoxvirus PCR amplicons of the expected size were generated in two of the 29 AFS pups (nasal swabs, 2014/15), targeting the B2L (n = 2) and DNA polymerase (n = 1) genes, whereas the GIF PCR did not amplify target sequences. The PCR amplicons were sequenced and blasted in GenBank, revealing highest similarity with a seal parapoxvirus, confirming the presence of the virus in AFS for the first time. No PhHV-1 amplicons were generated, and antibodies against T. gondii or smooth Brucella spp. were not detected. Our data indicate that these seals are host for parapoxvirus but are neither exposed to smooth Brucella spp. nor T. gondii. Evidence of PhHV-1 shedding was not detected. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seal Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bouvetøya Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Polar Research Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Southern Ocean Austral Bouvetøya ENVELOPE(3.358,3.358,-54.422,-54.422) Polar Research 39 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
antarctic fur seal parapoxvirus southern elephant seal southern ocean wildlife disease zoonosis Environmental sciences GE1-350 Oceanography GC1-1581 |
spellingShingle |
antarctic fur seal parapoxvirus southern elephant seal southern ocean wildlife disease zoonosis Environmental sciences GE1-350 Oceanography GC1-1581 Sandra Núñez-Egido Andrew Lowther Ingebjørg H. Nymo Jörn Klein Eva M. Breines Morten Tryland Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds |
topic_facet |
antarctic fur seal parapoxvirus southern elephant seal southern ocean wildlife disease zoonosis Environmental sciences GE1-350 Oceanography GC1-1581 |
description |
Knowledge of the health status and potential effect of disease outbreaks among Southern Ocean fauna may be decisive for its conservation. We assessed the exposure and infection of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella, AFS) and Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonine, SES) to parapoxvirus, Phocid alphaherpesvirus-1 (PhHV-1), smooth Brucella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. AFS (n = 65) serum and swab samples, and SES (n = 13) serum samples from the sub--Antarctic island of Bouvetøya (54°25’S, 03°22’E) were collected during two austral summers (2014/15, 2017/18). Three polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests amplifying the DNA polymerase, B2L and GIF parapoxvirus genomic regions were performed, investigating DNA from mucosal swab samples. The glycoprotein B gene was targeted to detect PhHV-1 viral DNA. Sera were assayed for T. gondii and smooth Brucella spp. antibodies with indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Parapoxvirus PCR amplicons of the expected size were generated in two of the 29 AFS pups (nasal swabs, 2014/15), targeting the B2L (n = 2) and DNA polymerase (n = 1) genes, whereas the GIF PCR did not amplify target sequences. The PCR amplicons were sequenced and blasted in GenBank, revealing highest similarity with a seal parapoxvirus, confirming the presence of the virus in AFS for the first time. No PhHV-1 amplicons were generated, and antibodies against T. gondii or smooth Brucella spp. were not detected. Our data indicate that these seals are host for parapoxvirus but are neither exposed to smooth Brucella spp. nor T. gondii. Evidence of PhHV-1 shedding was not detected. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sandra Núñez-Egido Andrew Lowther Ingebjørg H. Nymo Jörn Klein Eva M. Breines Morten Tryland |
author_facet |
Sandra Núñez-Egido Andrew Lowther Ingebjørg H. Nymo Jörn Klein Eva M. Breines Morten Tryland |
author_sort |
Sandra Núñez-Egido |
title |
Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds |
title_short |
Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds |
title_full |
Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds |
title_fullStr |
Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds |
title_sort |
pathogen surveillance in southern ocean pinnipeds |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v39.3841 https://doaj.org/article/8234da1b9804463db00b3a7cf4810a55 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(3.358,3.358,-54.422,-54.422) |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean Austral Bouvetøya |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean Austral Bouvetøya |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seal Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bouvetøya Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Polar Research Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seal Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bouvetøya Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Polar Research Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Polar Research, Vol 39, Iss 0, Pp 1-11 (2020) |
op_relation |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3841/12148 https://doaj.org/toc/1751-8369 1751-8369 doi:10.33265/polar.v39.3841 https://doaj.org/article/8234da1b9804463db00b3a7cf4810a55 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v39.3841 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
39 |
_version_ |
1766256707732766720 |