Serological Detection of Marine Origin Brucella Exposure in Two Alaska Beluga Stocks

Among emerging threats to the Arctic is the introduction, spread, or resurgence of disease. Marine brucellosis is an emerging disease concern among free-ranging cetaceans and is less well-studied than terrestrial forms. To investigate marine-origin Brucella sp. exposure in two beluga stocks in Alask...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2022-07, Vol.12 (15), p.1932
Main Authors: Thompson, Laura A., Goertz, Caroline E. C., Quakenbush, Lori T., Burek Huntington, Kathy, Suydam, Robert S., Stimmelmayr, Raphaela, Romano, Tracy A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal tissues
Animals
Antigens
Aquariums
Bacteria
bacterial culture
beluga
Brucella
Brucellosis
Cetacea
Competition
Deoxyribonucleic acid
disease
DNA
Dolphins & porpoises
Exposure
Hematology
Infections
Infectious diseases
Laboratories
Low level
Lymph nodes
Marine mammals
Monitoring
Polar environments
Polymerase chain reaction
Populations
Quality control
Reproductive failure
rtPCR
Serology
Test animals
Zoonoses
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Summary:Among emerging threats to the Arctic is the introduction, spread, or resurgence of disease. Marine brucellosis is an emerging disease concern among free-ranging cetaceans and is less well-studied than terrestrial forms. To investigate marine-origin Brucella sp. exposure in two beluga stocks in Alaska, USA, this study used serological status as well as real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) and bacterial culture. In total, 55 live-captured–released belugas were tested for Brucella exposure in Bristol Bay (2008–2016) and 112 (8 live-captured; 104 subsistence-harvested) whales were tested in the eastern Chukchi Sea (2007–2017). In total, 73% percent of Bristol Bay live captures, 50% of Chukchi Sea live captures, and 66% of Chukchi Sea harvested belugas were positive on serology. Only 10 of 69 seropositive belugas were rtPCR positive in at least one tissue. Only one seropositive animal was PCR positive in both the spleen and mesenteric lymph node. All animals tested were culture negative. The high prevalence of seropositivity detected suggests widespread exposure in both stocks, however, the low level of rtPCR and culture positive results suggests clinical brucellosis was not prevalent in the belugas surveyed. Continued detection of Brucella exposure supports the need for long-term monitoring of these and other beluga populations.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani12151932