After the bite: Bacterial transmission from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)
Recent population growth of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and common seal (Phoca vitulina) in the North Sea has increased potential interaction between these species. Grey seals are known to attack harbour porpoises. Some harbour porpoises survive initially...
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/566169 2024-01-28T10:05:13+01:00 After the bite: Bacterial transmission from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) Gilbert, Maarten J. IJsseldijk, Lonneke L. Rubio-García, Ana Gröne, Andrea Duim, Birgitta Rossen, John Zomer, Aldert L. Wagenaar, Jaap A. 2020 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/after-the-bite-bacterial-transmission-from-grey-seals-halichoerus https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192079 en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/524965 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/after-the-bite-bacterial-transmission-from-grey-seals-halichoerus doi:10.1098/rsos.192079 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wageningen University & Research Royal Society Open Science 7 (2020) 5 ISSN: 2054-5703 Bacterial transmission Common seal Grey seal Harbour porpoise Microbiome info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2020 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192079 2024-01-03T23:15:02Z Recent population growth of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and common seal (Phoca vitulina) in the North Sea has increased potential interaction between these species. Grey seals are known to attack harbour porpoises. Some harbour porpoises survive initially, but succumb eventually, often showing severely infected skin lesions. Bacteria transferred from the grey seal oral cavity may be involved in these infections and eventual death of the animal. In humans, seal bites are known to cause severe infections. In this study, a 16S rRNA-based microbiome sequencing approach is used to identify the oral bacterial diversity in harbour porpoises, grey seals and common seals; detect the potential transfer of bacteria from grey seals to harbour porpoises by biting and provide insights in the bacteria with zoonotic potential present in the seal oral cavity. β-diversity analysis showed that 12.9% (4/31) of the harbour porpoise skin lesion microbiomes resembled seal oral microbiomes, while most of the other skin lesion microbiomes also showed seal-associated bacterial species, including potential pathogens. In conclusion, this study shows that bacterial transmission from grey seals to harbour porpoises by biting is highly likely and that seal oral cavities harbour many bacterial pathogens with zoonotic potential. Article in Journal/Newspaper common seal Harbour porpoise Phoca vitulina Phocoena phocoena Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Royal Society Open Science 7 5 192079 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
Bacterial transmission Common seal Grey seal Harbour porpoise Microbiome |
spellingShingle |
Bacterial transmission Common seal Grey seal Harbour porpoise Microbiome Gilbert, Maarten J. IJsseldijk, Lonneke L. Rubio-García, Ana Gröne, Andrea Duim, Birgitta Rossen, John Zomer, Aldert L. Wagenaar, Jaap A. After the bite: Bacterial transmission from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
topic_facet |
Bacterial transmission Common seal Grey seal Harbour porpoise Microbiome |
description |
Recent population growth of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and common seal (Phoca vitulina) in the North Sea has increased potential interaction between these species. Grey seals are known to attack harbour porpoises. Some harbour porpoises survive initially, but succumb eventually, often showing severely infected skin lesions. Bacteria transferred from the grey seal oral cavity may be involved in these infections and eventual death of the animal. In humans, seal bites are known to cause severe infections. In this study, a 16S rRNA-based microbiome sequencing approach is used to identify the oral bacterial diversity in harbour porpoises, grey seals and common seals; detect the potential transfer of bacteria from grey seals to harbour porpoises by biting and provide insights in the bacteria with zoonotic potential present in the seal oral cavity. β-diversity analysis showed that 12.9% (4/31) of the harbour porpoise skin lesion microbiomes resembled seal oral microbiomes, while most of the other skin lesion microbiomes also showed seal-associated bacterial species, including potential pathogens. In conclusion, this study shows that bacterial transmission from grey seals to harbour porpoises by biting is highly likely and that seal oral cavities harbour many bacterial pathogens with zoonotic potential. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gilbert, Maarten J. IJsseldijk, Lonneke L. Rubio-García, Ana Gröne, Andrea Duim, Birgitta Rossen, John Zomer, Aldert L. Wagenaar, Jaap A. |
author_facet |
Gilbert, Maarten J. IJsseldijk, Lonneke L. Rubio-García, Ana Gröne, Andrea Duim, Birgitta Rossen, John Zomer, Aldert L. Wagenaar, Jaap A. |
author_sort |
Gilbert, Maarten J. |
title |
After the bite: Bacterial transmission from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_short |
After the bite: Bacterial transmission from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_full |
After the bite: Bacterial transmission from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_fullStr |
After the bite: Bacterial transmission from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_full_unstemmed |
After the bite: Bacterial transmission from grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) |
title_sort |
after the bite: bacterial transmission from grey seals (halichoerus grypus) to harbour porpoises (phocoena phocoena) |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/after-the-bite-bacterial-transmission-from-grey-seals-halichoerus https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192079 |
genre |
common seal Harbour porpoise Phoca vitulina Phocoena phocoena |
genre_facet |
common seal Harbour porpoise Phoca vitulina Phocoena phocoena |
op_source |
Royal Society Open Science 7 (2020) 5 ISSN: 2054-5703 |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/524965 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/after-the-bite-bacterial-transmission-from-grey-seals-halichoerus doi:10.1098/rsos.192079 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192079 |
container_title |
Royal Society Open Science |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
192079 |
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1789331402125213696 |