A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals
We present new and revised data for the phocine distemper virus (PDV) epidemics that resulted in the deaths of more than 23 000 harbour seals Phoca vitulina in 1988 and 30 000 in 2002. On both occasions the epidemics started at the Danish island of Anholt in central Kattegat, and subsequently spread...
Published in: | Diseases of Aquatic Organisms |
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Language: | English |
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2006
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Online Access: | https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-review-of-the-1988-and-2002-phocine-distemper-virus-epidemics-i https://doi.org/10.3354/dao068115 |
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/346992 2024-02-11T10:01:38+01:00 A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals Härkönen, L. Dietz, R. Reijnders, P.J.H. Teilmann, J. Harding, K. Hall, A. Brasseur, S.M.J.M. Siebert, U. Goodman, S.J. Jepson, P.D. Rasmussen, T.D. Thompson, P. 2006 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-review-of-the-1988-and-2002-phocine-distemper-virus-epidemics-i https://doi.org/10.3354/dao068115 en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/36747 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-review-of-the-1988-and-2002-phocine-distemper-virus-epidemics-i doi:10.3354/dao068115 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Wageningen University & Research Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 68 (2006) 2 ISSN: 0177-5103 flame retardants grey seals halichoerus-grypus immune-responses marine mammals mass mortality morbillivirus infection organochlorine contaminants population-dynamics western atlantic info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2006 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.3354/dao068115 2024-01-17T23:47:50Z We present new and revised data for the phocine distemper virus (PDV) epidemics that resulted in the deaths of more than 23 000 harbour seals Phoca vitulina in 1988 and 30 000 in 2002. On both occasions the epidemics started at the Danish island of Anholt in central Kattegat, and subsequently spread to adjacent colonies in a stepwise fashion. However, this pattern was not maintained throughout the epidemics and new centres of infection appeared far from infected populations on some occasions: in 1988 early positive cases were observed in the Irish Sea, and in 2002 the epidemic appeared in the Dutch Wadden Sea, 6 wk after the initiation of the outbreak at Anholt Island. Since the harbour seal is a rather sedentary species, such 'jumps' in the spread among colonies suggest that another vector species could have been involved. We discussed the role of sympatric species as disease vectors, and suggested that grey seal populations could act as reservoirs for PDV if infection rates in sympatric species are lower than in harbour seals. Alternatively, grey seals could act as subclinical infected carriers of the virus between Arctic and North Sea seal populations. Mixed colonies of grey and harbour seal colonies are found at all locations where the jumps occurred, It seems likely that grey seals, which show long-distance movements, contributed to the spread among regions. The harbour seal populations along the Norwegian coast and in the Baltic escaped both epidemics, which could be due either to genetic differences among harbour seal populations or to immunity. Catastrophic events such as repeated epidemics should be accounted for in future models and management strategies of wildlife populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic harbour seal Phoca vitulina Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Arctic Danish Island ENVELOPE(-83.599,-83.599,65.884,65.884) Kattegat ENVELOPE(9.692,9.692,63.563,63.563) Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 68 115 130 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
flame retardants grey seals halichoerus-grypus immune-responses marine mammals mass mortality morbillivirus infection organochlorine contaminants population-dynamics western atlantic |
spellingShingle |
flame retardants grey seals halichoerus-grypus immune-responses marine mammals mass mortality morbillivirus infection organochlorine contaminants population-dynamics western atlantic Härkönen, L. Dietz, R. Reijnders, P.J.H. Teilmann, J. Harding, K. Hall, A. Brasseur, S.M.J.M. Siebert, U. Goodman, S.J. Jepson, P.D. Rasmussen, T.D. Thompson, P. A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals |
topic_facet |
flame retardants grey seals halichoerus-grypus immune-responses marine mammals mass mortality morbillivirus infection organochlorine contaminants population-dynamics western atlantic |
description |
We present new and revised data for the phocine distemper virus (PDV) epidemics that resulted in the deaths of more than 23 000 harbour seals Phoca vitulina in 1988 and 30 000 in 2002. On both occasions the epidemics started at the Danish island of Anholt in central Kattegat, and subsequently spread to adjacent colonies in a stepwise fashion. However, this pattern was not maintained throughout the epidemics and new centres of infection appeared far from infected populations on some occasions: in 1988 early positive cases were observed in the Irish Sea, and in 2002 the epidemic appeared in the Dutch Wadden Sea, 6 wk after the initiation of the outbreak at Anholt Island. Since the harbour seal is a rather sedentary species, such 'jumps' in the spread among colonies suggest that another vector species could have been involved. We discussed the role of sympatric species as disease vectors, and suggested that grey seal populations could act as reservoirs for PDV if infection rates in sympatric species are lower than in harbour seals. Alternatively, grey seals could act as subclinical infected carriers of the virus between Arctic and North Sea seal populations. Mixed colonies of grey and harbour seal colonies are found at all locations where the jumps occurred, It seems likely that grey seals, which show long-distance movements, contributed to the spread among regions. The harbour seal populations along the Norwegian coast and in the Baltic escaped both epidemics, which could be due either to genetic differences among harbour seal populations or to immunity. Catastrophic events such as repeated epidemics should be accounted for in future models and management strategies of wildlife populations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Härkönen, L. Dietz, R. Reijnders, P.J.H. Teilmann, J. Harding, K. Hall, A. Brasseur, S.M.J.M. Siebert, U. Goodman, S.J. Jepson, P.D. Rasmussen, T.D. Thompson, P. |
author_facet |
Härkönen, L. Dietz, R. Reijnders, P.J.H. Teilmann, J. Harding, K. Hall, A. Brasseur, S.M.J.M. Siebert, U. Goodman, S.J. Jepson, P.D. Rasmussen, T.D. Thompson, P. |
author_sort |
Härkönen, L. |
title |
A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals |
title_short |
A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals |
title_full |
A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals |
title_fullStr |
A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals |
title_full_unstemmed |
A review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals |
title_sort |
review of the 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in european harbour seals |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-review-of-the-1988-and-2002-phocine-distemper-virus-epidemics-i https://doi.org/10.3354/dao068115 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-83.599,-83.599,65.884,65.884) ENVELOPE(9.692,9.692,63.563,63.563) |
geographic |
Arctic Danish Island Kattegat |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Danish Island Kattegat |
genre |
Arctic harbour seal Phoca vitulina |
genre_facet |
Arctic harbour seal Phoca vitulina |
op_source |
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 68 (2006) 2 ISSN: 0177-5103 |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/36747 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-review-of-the-1988-and-2002-phocine-distemper-virus-epidemics-i doi:10.3354/dao068115 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/dao068115 |
container_title |
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms |
container_volume |
68 |
container_start_page |
115 |
op_container_end_page |
130 |
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1790597423738912768 |