Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| coccidioidomycosis in a california sea otter (enhydra lutris). | a weak and emaciated california sea otter (enhydra lutris) was found stranded on atascadero beach in morro bay, california. it died three weeks after capture. a diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis was confirmed by histology, serology and culture. this is believed to be the first reported case of this disease from the morro bay area of san luis obispo county, california as well as the first reported case in a free-ranging marine mammal. | 1979 | 501839 |
| lead sources to california sea otters: industrial inputs circumvent natural lead biodepletion mechanisms. | lead levels (as pb/ca atom ratios) and stable isotopic compositions were measured in teeth of preindustrial and contemporary california sea otters (enhydra lutris) to determine if postindustrial changes had occurred in the magnitude and source of accumulated lead. lead/calcium atom ratios (means +/- sd) in teeth of some contemporary animals (110 +/- 37 x 10(-8), n = 3) were significantly elevated compared to levels in other contemporary (13 +/- 6.0 x 10(-8), n = 4) and preindustrial (7.3 +/- 3.9 ... | 1992 | 1568438 |
| maternal behavior in the california sea otter. | 1973 | 4744932 | |
| coccidioidomycosis in a bottlenose dolphin. | a stranded bottlenose dolphin (tursiops truncatus gilli) succumbed to a pulmonary infection of coccidioides immitis. the dolphin initially presented with mild inspiratory dyspnea that rapidly worsened over 48 hr to include buoyancy abnormalities and finally death. at necropsy, caseous nodules were observed throughout the lungs and perihilar lymph nodes. on histological examination of tissues, double walled organisms containing endospores characteristic of c. immitis were observed in lung, perihi ... | 1998 | 9706575 |
| organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and butyltin compounds in blubber and livers of stranded california sea lions, elephant seals, and harbor seals from coastal california, usa. | concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), ddts (p,p'-dde, p,p'-ddd, p,p'-ddt), chlordanes (chls; cis-chlordane, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor, and oxychlordane), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (hchs), hexachlorobenzene (hcb), tris(4-chlorophenyl)methane (tcpme), tris(4-chlorophenyl)methanol (tcpmoh), and mono- (mbt), di-(dbt), and tri-butyltin (tbt) were determined in blubber and livers of 15 california sea lions (zalophus californianus), 6 northern elephant seals (mirounga augustirost ... | 2001 | 11385594 |
| molecular epidemiology of feline bordetellosis in two animal shelters in california, usa. | "kennel cough" in dogs in animal shelters is readily transmissible, reduces adoption rates, and commonly leads to the euthanasia of affected dogs. in cats, tracheobronchitis, conjunctivitis, and pneumonia have been associated with bordetella bronchiseptica infection-but most cases of upper-respiratory infection (uri) probably are caused by herpesvirus and calicivirus, and many b. bronchiseptica culture-positive cats are clinically normal. our prospective observational study was undertaken to doc ... | 2002 | 12069777 |
| coastal freshwater runoff is a risk factor for toxoplasma gondii infection of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis). | the association among anthropogenic environmental disturbance, pathogen pollution and the emergence of infectious diseases in wildlife has been postulated, but not always well supported by epidemiologic data. specific evidence of coastal contamination of the marine ecosystem with the zoonotic protozoan parasite, toxoplasma gondii, and extensive infection of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) along the california coast was documented by this study. to investigate the extent of exposure a ... | 2002 | 12076629 |
| evaluation of an indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) for demonstration of antibodies to toxoplasma gondii in the sea otter (enhydra lutris). | an indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) for detection of toxoplasma gondii infection was validated using serum from 77 necropsied southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) whose t. gondii infection status was determined through immunohistochemistry and parasite isolation in cell culture. twenty-eight otters (36%) were positive for t. gondii by immunohistochemistry or parasite isolation or both, whereas 49 (64%) were negative by both tests. at a cutoff of 1:320, combined values for ifat se ... | 2002 | 12099433 |
| helminth parasites of the southern sea otter enhydra lutris nereis in central california: abundance, distribution and pathology. | from october 1997 to may 2001, the gastrointestinal tracts from 162 beach-cast southern sea otters enhydra lutris nereis were examined for helminth parasites and associated lesions. carcasses were collected opportunistically in central california between pt. san pedro and pt. arguello. the primary goals of this study were to examine spatial and temporal variability in mortality due to parasite infection, identify factors associated with increased risk of infection, and illustrate the process of ... | 2003 | 12608572 |
| characterization and clinical manifestations of arcanobacterium phocae infections in marine mammals stranded along the central california coast. | between 1994 and 2000, 141 arcanobacterium phocae isolates were recovered from marine mammals that stranded along the central california coast (usa). arcanobacterium phocae was cultured from tissue sites with abnormal discharge or evidence of inflammation in 66 california sea lions (zalophus californianus), 50 pacific harbor seals (phoca vitulina richardii), 19 northern elephant seals (mirounga angustirostris), five southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis), and one common dolphin (delphinus d ... | 2003 | 12685077 |
| patterns of mortality in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) from 1998-2001. | detailed postmortem examination of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) found along the california (usa) coast has provided an exceptional opportunity to understand factors influencing survival in this threatened marine mammal species. in order to evaluate recent trends in causes of mortality, the demographic and geographic distribution of causes of death in freshly deceased beachcast sea otters necropsied from 1998-2001 were evaluated. protozoal encephalitis, acanthocephalan-related dise ... | 2003 | 14567210 |
| clinical pathology and assessment of pathogen exposure in southern and alaskan sea otters. | the southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) population in california (usa) and the alaskan sea otter (e. lutris kenyoni) population in the aleutian islands (usa) chain have recently declined. in order to evaluate disease as a contributing factor to the declines, health assessments of these two sea otter populations were conducted by evaluating hematologic and/or serum biochemical values and exposure to six marine and terrestrial pathogens using blood collected during ongoing studies from 1995 ... | 2003 | 14733279 |
| an unusual genotype of toxoplasma gondii is common in california sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) and is a cause of mortality. | toxoplasma gondii-associated meningoencephalitis is a significant disease of california sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis), responsible for 16% of total mortality in fresh, beachcast carcasses. toxoplasma gondii isolates were obtained from 35 california otters necropsied between 1998 and 2002. based on multi-locus pcr-restriction fragment length polymorphism and dna sequencing at conserved genes (18s rdna, its-1) and polymorphic genes (b1, sag1, sag3 and gra6), two distinct genotypes were identi ... | 2004 | 15003489 |
| organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in california sea lions. | concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), ddts, chlordanes, hchs, hexachlorobenzene (hcb), dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, tris(4-chlorophenyl)methane (tcpme), and tris(4-chlorophenyl)methanol (tcpmoh) were measured in the blubber of california sea lions (zalophus californianus) collected in 2000. ddts were the most predominant contaminants, followed by pcbs, chlordanes, tcpme, hchs, tcpmoh, dieldrin, and heptachlor epoxide. concentrations of pcbs and ddts varied from a few microg/g to s ... | 2004 | 15261406 |
| transmission of toxoplasma: clues from the study of sea otters as sentinels of toxoplasma gondii flow into the marine environment. | toxoplasma gondii affects a wide variety of hosts including threatened southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) which serve as sentinels for the detection of the parasite's transmission into marine ecosystems. toxoplasmosis is a major cause of mortality and contributor to the slow rate of population recovery for southern sea otters in california. an updated seroprevalence analysis showed that 52% of 305 freshly dead, beachcast sea otters and 38% of 257 live sea otters sampled along the califo ... | 2005 | 16157341 |
| molecular phylogenetics and diagnosis of anisakis, pseudoterranova, and contracaecum from northern pacific marine mammals. | individual specimens of anisakis, pseudoterranova, and contracaecum collected from marine mammals inhabiting northern pacific waters were used for comparative diagnostic and molecular phylogenetic analyses. forty-eight new sequences were obtained for this study of 14 anisakis taxa, 8 pseudoterranova taxa, 4 contracaecum taxa, and 4 outgroup species. partial 28s (lsu) and complete internal transcribed spacer (its-1, 5.8s, its-2) ribosomal dna was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and seq ... | 2005 | 16539026 |
| expressed mhc class ii genes in sea otters (enhydra lutris) from geographically disparate populations. | the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) is central to maintaining the immunologic vigor of individuals and populations. classical mhc class ii genes were targeted for partial sequencing in sea otters (enhydra lutris) from populations in california, washington, and alaska. sequences derived from sea otter peripheral blood leukocyte mrnas were similar to those classified as dqa, dqb, dra, and drb in other species. comparisons of the derived amino acid compositions supported the classification o ... | 2006 | 16671948 |
| comparison of trace element concentrations in livers of diseased, emaciated and non-diseased southern sea otters from the california coast. | infectious diseases have been implicated as a cause of high rates of adult mortality in southern sea otters. exposure to environmental contaminants can compromise the immuno-competence of animals, predisposing them to infectious diseases. in addition to organic pollutants, certain trace elements can modulate the immune system in marine mammals. nevertheless, reports of occurrence of trace elements, including toxic heavy metals, in sea otters are not available. in this study, concentrations of 20 ... | 2006 | 16846630 |
| association between perfluorinated compounds and pathological conditions in southern sea otters. | concentrations of four perfluorinated contaminants, including perfluorooctanesulfonate (pfos) and perfluorooctanoic acid (pfoa), were measured in liver tissue from 80 adult female sea otters collected from the california coast during 1992-2002. concentrations of pfos and pfoa were in the ranges of <1-884 and <5-147 ng/g, wet wt, respectively. concentrations of pfoa in the livers of these sea otters were among the highest values reported for marine mammals to date. liver tissue from 6 male sea ot ... | 2006 | 16955890 |
| relating dispersal and range expansion of california sea otters. | linking dispersal and range expansion of invasive species has long challenged theoretical and quantitative ecologists. subtle differences in dispersal can yield large differences in geographic spread, with speeds ranging from constant to rapidly increasing. we developed a stage-structured integrodifference equation (ide) model of the california sea otter range expansion that occurred between 1914 and 1986. the non-spatial model, a linear matrix population model, was coupled to a suite of candida ... | 2007 | 17400266 |
| evaluation of two toxoplasma gondii serologic tests used in a serosurvey of domestic cats in california. | we evaluated the sensitivity (se) and specificity (sp) of an igg enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and igg indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) for detection of toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies in sera from 2 cat populations using a bayesian approach. accounting for test covariance, the se and sp of the igg elisa were estimated to be 92.6% and 96.5%, and those of the igg ifat were 81.0% and 93.8%, respectively. both tests performed poorly in cats experimentally coinfected with ... | 2007 | 17918359 |
| genetic diversity among sea otter isolates of toxoplasma gondii. | sea otters (enhydra lutris) have been reported to become infected with toxoplasma gondii and at times succumb to clinical disease. here, we determined genotypes of 39 t. gondii isolates from 37 sea otters in two geographically distant locations (25 from california and 12 from washington). six genotypes were identified using 10 pcr-rflp genetic markers including sag1, sag2, sag3, btub, gra6, c22-8, c29-2, l358, pk1, and apico, and by dna sequencing of loci sag1 and gra6 in 13 isolates. of these 3 ... | 2008 | 18155841 |
| polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) in livers of california sea otters. | concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) were measured in livers of 81 adult female sea otters collected along the california coast in 1992-2002. concentrations of summation operatorpahs in livers of sea otters were in the range of 588-17400ng/g lipid wt (mean: 3880ng/g, lipid wt). on a wet weight basis, the concentrations ranged from 17 to 1430ng/g (mean: 146ng/g). overall, di- and tri-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, namely, naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene/anthracene, and ... | 2008 | 18177687 |
| modest genetic differentiation among north american populations of sarcocystis neurona may reflect expansion in its geographic range. | sarcocystis neurona is an important cause of neurological disease in horses (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, epm) and sea otters in the united states. in addition, epm-like disease has been diagnosed in several other land and marine mammals. opossums are its only definitive hosts. little genetic diversity among isolates of s. neurona from different hosts has been reported. here, we used 11 microsatellites to characterize s. neurona dna isolated from natural infections in 22 sea otters (enhyd ... | 2008 | 18243561 |
| contamination status and accumulation profiles of organotins in sea otters (enhydra lutris) found dead along the coasts of california, washington, alaska (usa), and kamchatka (russia). | organotin compounds (ots) including mono- to tri-butyltins, -phenyltins, and -octyltins were determined in the liver of adult sea otters (enhydra lutris) found dead along the coasts of california, washington, and alaska in the usa and kamchatka, russia. total concentrations of ots in sea otters from california ranged from 34 to 4100ng/g on a wet weight basis. the order of concentrations of ots in sea otters was total butyltins>total octyltins> or = total phenyltins. elevated concentrations of bu ... | 2008 | 18304586 |
| chlorinated, brominated, and perfluorinated compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace elements in livers of sea otters from california, washington, and alaska (usa), and kamchatka (russia). | concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (ddts, hchs, and chlordanes), polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs), perfluorinated compounds (pfcs), and 20 trace elements were determined in livers of 3- to 5-year old stranded sea otters collected from the coastal waters of california, washington, and alaska (usa) and from kamchatka (russia). concentrations of organochlorine pesticides, pcbs, and pbdes were high in sea otter ... | 2008 | 18385877 |
| type x toxoplasma gondii in a wild mussel and terrestrial carnivores from coastal california: new linkages between terrestrial mammals, runoff and toxoplasmosis of sea otters. | sea otters in california are commonly infected with toxoplasma gondii. a unique type x strain is responsible for 72% of otter infections, but its prevalence in terrestrial animals and marine invertebrates inhabiting the same area was unknown. between 2000 and 2005, 45 terrestrial carnivores (lions, bobcats, domestic cats and foxes) and 1396 invertebrates (mussels, clams and worms) were screened for t. gondii using pcr and dna sequencing to determine the phylogeographic distribution of t. gondii ... | 2008 | 18452923 |
| prey choice and habitat use drive sea otter pathogen exposure in a resource-limited coastal system. | the processes promoting disease in wild animal populations are highly complex, yet identifying these processes is critically important for conservation when disease is limiting a population. by combining field studies with epidemiologic tools, we evaluated the relationship between key factors impeding southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) population growth: disease and resource limitation. this threatened population has struggled to recover despite protection, so we followed radio-tagged se ... | 2009 | 19164513 |
| enteric bacterial pathogen detection in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) is associated with coastal urbanization and freshwater runoff. | although protected for nearly a century, california's sea otters have been slow to recover, in part due to exposure to fecally-associated protozoal pathogens like toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona. however, potential impacts from exposure to fecal bacteria have not been systematically explored. using selective media, we examined feces from live and dead sea otters from california for specific enteric bacterial pathogens (campylobacter, salmonella, clostridium perfringens, c. difficile an ... | 2010 | 19720009 |
| prevalence and risk factors associated with sarcocystis neurona infections in opossums (didelphis virginiana) from central california. | sarcocystis neurona, a protozoal parasite shed by opossums (didelphis virginiana), has been shown to cause significant morbidity and mortality in horses, sea otters, and other marine mammals. over the course of 3 years (fall 2005-summer 2008), opossums from central california were tested for infection with s. neurona. of 288 opossums sampled, 17 (5.9%) were infected with s. neurona based on the molecular characterization of sporocysts from intestinal scrapings or feces. risk factors evaluated fo ... | 2009 | 19735983 |
| a reanalysis of competing hypotheses for the spread of the california sea otter. | from 1938 to 1972, the range of california sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) expanded with the northern and southern fronts spreading at rates of approximately 1.4 km/yr and 3.1 km/yr, respectively. j. a. lubina and s. a. levin proposed the following three factors to explain the large disparity in spread rates: (1) regional differences in dispersal; (2) regional differences in population growth; and (3) advection due to the known presence of a southerly flowing offshore current. while lubina an ... | 2009 | 19769128 |
| molecular characterization of sarcocystis neurona strains from opossums (didelphis virginiana) and intermediate hosts from central california. | sarcocystis neurona is a significant cause of neurological disease in horses and other animals, including the threatened southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis). opossums (didelphis virginiana), the only known definitive hosts for s. neurona in north america, are an introduced species in california. s. neurona dna isolated from sporocysts and/or infected tissues of 10 opossums, 6 horses, 1 cat, 23 southern sea otters, and 1 harbor porpoise (phocoena phocoena) with natural infections was analy ... | 2010 | 20226596 |
| a protozoal-associated epizootic impacting marine wildlife: mass-mortality of southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) due to sarcocystis neurona infection. | during april 2004, 40 sick and dead southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) were recovered over 18km of coastline near morro bay, california. this event represented the single largest monthly spike in mortality ever recorded during 30 years of southern sea otter stranding data collection. because of the point-source nature of the event and clinical signs consistent with severe, acute neurological disease, exposure to a chemical or marine toxin was initially considered. however, detailed post ... | 2010 | 20615616 |
| effect of estuarine wetland degradation on transport of toxoplasma gondii surrogates from land to sea. | the flux of terrestrially derived pathogens to coastal waters presents a significant health risk to marine wildlife, as well as to humans who utilize the nearshore for recreation and seafood harvest. anthropogenic changes in natural habitats may result in increased transmission of zoonotic pathogens to coastal waters. the objective of our work was to evaluate how human-caused alterations of coastal landscapes in california affect the transport of toxoplasma gondii to estuarine waters. toxoplasma ... | 2010 | 20802072 |
| variation in delta13c and delta15n diet-vibrissae trophic discrimination factors in a wild population of california sea otters. | the ability to quantify dietary inputs using stable isotope data depends on accurate estimates of isotopic differences between a consumer (c) and its diet (d), commonly referred to as trophic discrimination factors (tdfs) and denoted by delta(c-d). at present, tdfs are available for only a few mammals and are usually derived in captive settings. the magnitude of tdfs and the degree to which they vary in wild populations is unknown. we determined delta13c and delta15n tdfs for vibrissae (i.e., wh ... | 2010 | 20945772 |
| persistent organic pollutants in the blood of free-ranging sea otters (enhydra lutris ssp.) in alaska and california. | as part of tagging and ecologic research efforts in 1997 and 1998, apparently healthy sea otters of four age-sex classes in six locations in alaska and three in california were sampled for persistent organic pollutants (pops) and other chemicals of ecologic or environmental concern (coecs). published techniques for the detection of pops (specifically ∑polychlorinated biphenyls [pcbs], ∑ddts, ∑hexachlorocyclohexanes [hchs], ∑polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [pahs], ∑chlordanes [chls], hexachlorob ... | 2010 | 20966272 |
| wave disturbance overwhelms top-down and bottom-up control of primary production in california kelp forests. | we took advantage of regional differences in environmental forcing and consumer abundance to examine the relative importance of nutrient availability (bottom-up), grazing pressure (top-down), and storm waves (disturbance) in determining the standing biomass and net primary production (npp) of the giant kelp macrocystis pyrifera in central and southern california. using a nine-year data set collected from 17 sites we show that, despite high densities of sea urchin grazers and prolonged periods of ... | 2011 | 22164835 |
| the distribution of 4-nonylphenol in marine organisms of north american pacific coast estuaries. | one of the chemical breakdown products of nonylphenol ethoxylates, 4-nonylphenol (4-np), accumulates in organisms and is of concern as an environmental pollutant due to its endocrine disrupting effects. we measured 4-np levels in the seawater, sediment, and twelve organisms within the california estuary, morro bay, and examined biomagnification of 4-np using stable isotope abundances (δ(15)n and δ(13)c) to quantify trophic position. 4-np concentrations in organisms from morro bay included 25000± ... | 2012 | 22257992 |
| temporal association between land-based runoff events and california sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) protozoal mortalities. | toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona have caused significant morbidity and mortality in threatened southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) along the central california coast. because only terrestrial animals are known to serve as definitive hosts for t. gondii and s. neurona, infections in otters suggest a land to sea flow of these protozoan pathogens. to better characterize the role of overland runoff in delivery of terrestrially derived fecal pathogens to the near shore, we assessed t ... | 2012 | 22493114 |
| epidemiology and potential land-sea transfer of enteric bacteria from terrestrial to marine species in the monterey bay region of california. | marine mammals are at risk for infection by fecal-associated zoonotic pathogens when they swim and feed in polluted nearshore marine waters. because of their tendency to consume 25-30% of their body weight per day in coastal filter-feeding invertebrates, southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) can act as sentinels of marine ecosystem health in california. feces from domestic and wildlife species were tested to determine prevalence, potential virulence, and diversity of selected opportunistic ... | 2012 | 22740531 |
| toxoplasma gondii, source to sea: higher contribution of domestic felids to terrestrial parasite loading despite lower infection prevalence. | environmental transmission of toxoplasma gondii, a global zoonotic parasite, adversely impacts human and animal health. toxoplasma is a significant cause of mortality in threatened southern sea otters, which serve as sentinels for disease threats to people and animals in coastal environments. as wild and domestic felids are the only recognized hosts capable of shedding toxoplasma oocysts into the environment, otter infection suggests land-to-sea pathogen transmission. to assess relative contribu ... | 2013 | 24048652 |
| novel bartonella infection in northern and southern sea otters (enhydra lutris kenyoni and enhydra lutris nereis). | since 2002, vegetative valvular endocarditis (vve), septicemia and meningoencephalitis have contributed to an unusual mortality event (ume) of northern sea otters in southcentral alaska. streptococcal organisms were commonly isolated from vegetative lesions and organs from these sea otters. bartonella infection has also been associated with bacteremia and vve in terrestrial mammals, but little is known regarding its pathogenic significance in marine mammals. our study evaluated whether streptoco ... | 2014 | 24629902 |
| novel poxvirus infection in northern and southern sea otters (enhydra lutris kenyoni and enhydra lutris neiris), alaska and california, usa. | small superficially ulcerated skin lesions were observed between october 2009 and september 2011 during captive care of two orphaned sea otter pups: one northern (enhydra lutris kenyoni) in alaska and one southern (enhydra lutris nereis) in california. inclusions consistent with poxviral infection were diagnosed by histopathology in both cases. virions consistent with poxvirus virions were seen on electron microscopy in the northern sea otter, and the virus was successfully propagated in cell cu ... | 2014 | 24807180 |
| using molecular epidemiology to track toxoplasma gondii from terrestrial carnivores to marine hosts: implications for public health and conservation. | environmental transmission of the zoonotic parasite toxoplasma gondii, which is shed only by felids, poses risks to human and animal health in temperate and tropical ecosystems. atypical t. gondii genotypes have been linked to severe disease in people and the threatened population of california sea otters. to investigate land-to-sea parasite transmission, we screened 373 carnivores (feral domestic cats, mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, and coyotes) for t. gondii infection and examined the distrib ... | 2014 | 24874796 |
| energetic demands of immature sea otters from birth to weaning: implications for maternal costs, reproductive behavior and population-level trends. | sea otters (enhydra lutris) have the highest mass-specific metabolic rate of any marine mammal, which is superimposed on the inherently high costs of reproduction and lactation in adult females. these combined energetic demands have been implicated in the poor body condition and increased mortality of female sea otters nearing the end of lactation along the central california coast. however, the cost of lactation is unknown and currently cannot be directly measured for this marine species in the ... | 2014 | 24920834 |
| aquatic polymers can drive pathogen transmission in coastal ecosystems. | gelatinous polymers including extracellular polymeric substances (epss) are fundamental to biophysical processes in aquatic habitats, including mediating aggregation processes and functioning as the matrix of biofilms. yet insight into the impact of these sticky molecules on the environmental transmission of pathogens in the ocean is limited. we used the zoonotic parasite toxoplasma gondii as a model to evaluate polymer-mediated mechanisms that promote transmission of terrestrially derived patho ... | 2014 | 25297861 |
| bartonella spp. exposure in northern and southern sea otters in alaska and california. | since 2002, an increased number of northern sea otters (enhydra lutris kenyoni) from southcentral alaska have been reported to be dying due to endocarditis and/or septicemia with infection by streptococcus infantarius subsp. coli. bartonella spp. dna was also detected in northern sea otters as part of mortality investigations during this unusual mortality event (ume) in kachemak bay, alaska. to evaluate the extent of exposure to bartonella spp. in sea otters, sera collected from necropsied and l ... | 2014 | 25514118 |
| the interaction of intraspecific competition and habitat on individual diet specialization: a near range-wide examination of sea otters. | the quantification of individuality is a common research theme in the fields of population, community, and evolutionary ecology. the potential for individuality to arise is likely context-dependent, and the influence of habitat characteristics on its prevalence has received less attention than intraspecific competition. we examined individual diet specialization in 16 sea otter (enhydra lutris) populations from southern california to the aleutian islands in alaska. because population histories, ... | 2015 | 25645269 |
| oral papillomatosis caused by enhydra lutris papillomavirus 1 (elpv-1) in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) in california, usa. | the southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) is a threatened marine sentinel. during postmortem investigations of stranded sea otters from 2004 to 2013 in california, us, papillomas were detected in the oral cavity of at least seven otters via necropsy and histopathology. next-generation sequencing of viral particles purified from a single papilloma revealed a novel papillomavirus, enhydra lutris papillomavirus 1 (elpv-1). the genome of elpv-1 was obtained, representing the first fully sequenc ... | 2015 | 25647597 |
| coccidioidomycosis and other systemic mycoses of marine mammals stranding along the central california, usa coast: 1998-2012. | a wide range of systemic mycoses have been reported from captive and wild marine mammals from north america. examples include regionally endemic pathogens such as coccidioides and blastomyces spp., and novel pathogens like cryptococcus gattii, which appear may have been introduced to north america by humans. stranding and necropsy data were analyzed from three marine mammal stranding and response facilities on the central california coast to assess the prevalence, host demographics, and lesion d ... | 2015 | 25647598 |
| the cost of reproduction: differential resource specialization in female and male california sea otters. | intraspecific variation in behavior and diet can have important consequences for population and ecosystem dynamics. here, we examine how differences in reproductive investment and spatial ecology influence individual diet specialization in male and female southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis). we hypothesize that greater reproductive constraints and smaller home ranges of females lead to more pronounced intraspecific competition and increased specialization. we integrate stable carbon (δ(1 ... | 2015 | 25669450 |
| concentration and retention of toxoplasma gondii oocysts by marine snails demonstrate a novel mechanism for transmission of terrestrial zoonotic pathogens in coastal ecosystems. | the parasite toxoplasma gondii is an environmentally persistent pathogen that can cause fatal disease in humans, terrestrial warm-blooded animals and aquatic mammals. although an association between t. gondii exposure and prey specialization on marine snails was identified in threatened california sea otters, the ability of kelp-dwelling snails to transmit terrestrially derived pathogens has not been previously investigated. the objective of this study was to measure concentration and retention ... | 2015 | 26033089 |
| dual congenital transmission of toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona in a late-term aborted pup from a chronically infected southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis). | toxoplasma gondii and sarcocystis neurona are protozoan parasites with terrestrial definitive hosts, and both pathogens can cause fatal disease in a wide range of marine animals. close monitoring of threatened southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) in california allowed for the diagnosis of dual transplacental transmission of t. gondii and s. neurona in a wild female otter that was chronically infected with both parasites. congenital infection resulted in late-term abortion due to dissemina ... | 2016 | 26494610 |
| a systematic review of changes in marine mammal health in north america, 1972-2012: the need for a novel integrated approach. | marine mammals are often cited as "sentinels of ocean health" yet accessible, synthesized data on their health changes that could effectively warn of ocean health changes are rare. the objectives of this study were to 1) perform a systematic review of published cases of marine mammal disease to determine spatial and temporal trends in disease from 1972-2012, including changes in regions and taxa affected and specific causes; and 2) compare numbers of published cases of neoplasia with known, hosp ... | 2015 | 26579715 |
| novel finding of widespread occurrence and accumulation of bisphenol a diglycidyl ethers (badges) and novolac glycidyl ethers (noges) in marine mammals from the united states coastal waters. | bisphenol a diglycidyl ether (badge)- and bisphenol f diglycidyl ether (bfdge)-based epoxy resins have a broad range of applications, including serving as inner coatings of food and beverage cans and as protective coatings in marine construction. prior to this study, no studies had examined the occurrence and bioaccumulation of badges or bfdges in aquatic organisms. in this study, badge, bfdge, and nine of their derivatives were determined in 121 tissue (liver, kidney, blubber, and brain) sample ... | 2016 | 26800265 |
| the high cost of motherhood: end-lactation syndrome in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) on the central california coast, usa. | sea otters ( enhydra lutris ) have exceptionally high energetic requirements, which nearly double during lactation and pup care. thus, females are extremely vulnerable to caloric insufficiency. despite a number of compensatory strategies, the metabolic challenge of reproduction culminates in numerous maternal deaths annually. massive depletion of energy reserves results in a case presentation that we define as end-lactation syndrome (els), characterized by moderate to severe emaciation not attri ... | 2016 | 26967137 |
| california mussels (mytilus californianus) as sentinels for marine contamination with sarcocystis neurona. | sarcocystis neurona is a terrestrial parasite that can cause fatal encephalitis in the endangered southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis). to date, neither risk factors associated with marine contamination nor the route of s. neurona infection to marine mammals has been described. this study evaluated coastal s. neurona contamination using california mussels (mytilus californianus) as sentinels for pathogen pollution. a field investigation was designed to test the hypotheses that (1) mussels ... | 2016 | 27003262 |
| comparison of human and southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis) health risks for infection with protozoa in nearshore waters. | cryptosporidium and giardia spp. are waterborne, fecally-transmitted pathogens that cause economic loss due to gastroenteritis and beach closures. we applied quantitative microbial risk assessment (qmra) to determine the health risks for humans and sea otters due to waterborne exposure of cryptosporidium and giardia spp. when swimming in three types of surface waters: river, stormwater and wastewater effluent during the wet and dry seasons in the central coast of california. this is the first ap ... | 2016 | 27525585 |
| isolation and characterization of a novel marine brucella from a southern sea otter (enhydra lutris nereis), california, usa. | we characterize brucella infection in a wild southern sea otter ( enhydra lutris nereis) with osteolytic lesions similar to those reported in other marine mammals and humans. this otter stranded twice along the central california coast, us over a 1-yr period and was handled extensively at two wildlife rehabilitation facilities, undergoing multiple surgeries and months of postsurgical care. ultimately the otter was euthanized due to severe, progressive neurologic disease. necropsy and postmortem ... | 2017 | 28151078 |
| endemic infection of stranded southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) with novel parvovirus, polyomavirus, and adenovirus. | over the past century, the southern sea otter (sso; enhydra lutris nereis) population has been slowly recovering from near extinction due to overharvest. the sso is a threatened species under federal law and a fully protected species under california law. through a multiagency collaborative program, stranded animals are rehabilitated and released, while deceased animals are necropsied and tissues are cryopreserved to facilitate scientific study. here, we processed archival tissues to enrich part ... | 2017 | 28192039 |
| mitogenomes and relatedness do not predict frequency of tool-use by sea otters. | many ecological aspects of tool-use in sea otters are similar to those in indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins. within an area, most tool-using dolphins share a single mitochondrial haplotype and are more related to each other than to the population as a whole. we asked whether sea otters in california showed similar genetic patterns by sequencing mitogenomes of 43 otters and genotyping 154 otters at 38 microsatellite loci. there were six variable sites in the mitogenome that yielded three haplotype ... | 2017 | 28330975 |
| serologic detection of subtype-specific antibodies to influenza a viruses in southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis). | there are approximately 3,000 southern sea otters (enhydra lutris nereis) in the nearshore environment along the california coast, and the species is classified as threatened under the endangered species act. we tested sera from 661 necropsied southern sea otters sampled from 1997 to 2015 to determine overall exposure to influenza a viruses (iavs) and to identify subtype-specific antibody responses. using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa), antibodies to iav nucleoproteins were detecte ... | 2017 | 28513329 |
| discovery of the fossil otter enhydritherium terraenovae (carnivora, mammalia) in mexico reconciles a palaeozoogeographic mystery. | the north american fossil otter enhydritherium terraenovae is thought to be partially convergent in ecological niche with the living sea otter enhydra lutris, both having low-crowned crushing teeth and a close association with marine environments. fossil records of enhydritherium are found in mostly marginal marine deposits in california and florida; despite presence of very rich records of fossil terrestrial mammals in contemporaneous localities inland, no enhydritherium fossils are hitherto kn ... | 2017 | 28615353 |