MONITORING THREATENED SOUTHERN SEA OTTERS FOR EXPOSURE TO SELECTED FECAL PATHOGENS

MONITORING THREATENED SOUTHERN SEA OTTERS FOR EXPOSURE TO SELECTED FECAL PATHOGENS

Melissa A. Miller, Nancy Christian, Mike Murray, Dave A. Jessup

Melissa A. Miller, Nancy Christian, Mike Murray, Dave A. Jessup

Pathogens may enter the ocean through surface runoff or sewage discharges, and serve as a source of infection for the threatened southern sea otter

Fresh sea otter feces:Fresh sea otter feces:-fresh dead otters-fresh dead otters-live-captured otters-live-captured otters-known otter haul-out sites-known otter haul-out sites

BacteriaBacteria ProtozoansProtozoans Culture w/ confirmationCulture w/ confirmation Fecal float & Fecal float &

DFAT DFAT

Bank isolates for subsequent molecular Bank isolates for subsequent molecular studiesstudies

STUDY DESIGN

POTENTIAL FECAL PATHOGENS

ProtozoaCryptosporidiumCryptosporidium

GiardiaGiardia

BacteriaSalmonella sp. Salmonella sp.

Enterotoxigenic Enterotoxigenic E. coliE. coli (0157:H7)(0157:H7)

Campylobacter jejuniCampylobacter jejuni

Vibrio choleraVibrio cholera, etc., etc.

Pleisomonas Pleisomonas shigelloidesshigelloides

Clostridium perfringensClostridium perfringens

SAMPLE SIZE:(number of fecal samples processed)

Protozoa: 52Protozoa: 52

Bacteria: 40Bacteria: 40

RESULTS: PROTOZOA

CryptosporidiumCryptosporidium 3.8% 3.8% (float = 1, FAT = 1)(float = 1, FAT = 1)

GiardiaGiardia 1.9% 1.9% (float = 1, FAT = 0)(float = 1, FAT = 0)

(n = 52)

RESULTS: BACTERIA

Enterotoxigenic Enterotoxigenic E. coliE. coli 0% 0%

Vibrio choleraVibrio cholera 0% 0%

SalmonellaSalmonella 2.5% 2.5%

Campylobacter jejuni-likeCampylobacter jejuni-like 2.5% 2.5%

Pleisomonas shigelloidesPleisomonas shigelloides 17.5% 17.5%

Clostridium perfringensClostridium perfringens type A 20.0% type A 20.0%

(n = 40)(n = 40)

SUMMARYNew host records for many isolatesNew host records for many isolates

Some bacterial isolates obtained from otters Some bacterial isolates obtained from otters with evidence of gastrointestinal diseasewith evidence of gastrointestinal disease

Locational data still being assessedLocational data still being assessed

Funding is being sought to continue this Funding is being sought to continue this research, and to compare isolates with those research, and to compare isolates with those isolated from humans and terrestrial isolated from humans and terrestrial animalsanimals

Organism detected Sample size Number

of isolates

%

Cryptosporidium sp. 52 2 3.8

Giardia sp. 52 1 1.9

Vibrio parahemolyticus 40 11 27.5

Vibro alginolyticus 40 6 15.0

Vibrio sp. (other/unknown) 40 7 17.5

Clostridium perfringens, Type A 40 8 20.0

Pleisomonas shigelloides 40 7 17.5

Aeromonas sp.-like 40 2 3.8

Shewanella putrefaciens 40 2 3.8

Campylobacteria jejuni –like 40 1 1.9

Salmonella sp. 40 1 1.9

Edwardsiella tarda 40 1 1.9

Enterococcus faecalis 40 1 1.9

Providencia rettgeri 40 1 1.9

Staphylococcus sp. 40 1 1.9

Esherichia coli 0157:H7 40 0 0