Assay dependence of Brucella antibody prevalence in a declining Alaskan harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina ) population

• Published in: Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
• Main Authors: Hueffer Karsten, Gende Scott M, O’Hara Todd M
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2013
• Subjects: Brucella; Harbor seals; Alaska; Assay dependence; Veterinary medicine; SF600-1100; Glacier Bay; glacier; harbor seal; Phoca vitulina
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-55-2; https://doaj.org/article/b1a42be375294172a51aec3135886707

Abstract Background Brucella is a group of bacteria that causes brucellosis, which can affect population health and reproductive success in many marine mammals. We investigated the serological prevalence of antibodies against Brucella bacteria in a declining harbor seal population in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. Results Prevalence ranged from 16 to 74 percent for those tests detecting antibodies, indicating that harbor seals in Glacier Bay have been exposed to Brucella bacteria. However, the actual level of serological prevalence could not be determined because results were strongly assay-dependent. Conclusions This study reinforces the need to carefully consider assay choice when comparing different studies on the prevalence of anti– Brucella antibodies in pinnipeds and further highlights the need for species- or taxon-specific assay validation for both pathogen and host species.