Abstract
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 Streptococcus bovis/. equinus (SB/E) and Bartonella infections were associated with UME-related disease characterized by VVE and septicemia in Alaskan sea otter carcasses recovered 2004-2008. These bacteria were also evaluated in southern sea otters in California. Streptococcus bovis/. equinus were cultured from 45% (23/51) of northern sea otter heart valves, and biochemical testing and sequencing identified these isolates as Streptococcus infantarius subsp. coli. One-third of sea otter hearts were co-infected with Bartonella spp. Our analysis demonstrated that SB/E was strongly associated with UME-related disease in northern sea otters (P< 0.001). While Bartonella infection was also detected in 45% (23/51) and 10% (3/30) of heart valves of northern and southern sea otters examined, respectively, it was not associated with disease. Phylogenetic analysis of the Bartonella ITS region allowed detection of two Bartonella species, one novel species closely related to Bartonella spp. JM-1, B. washoensis and Candidatus B. volans and another molecularly identical to B. henselae. Our findings help to elucidate the role of pathogens in northern sea otter mortalities during this UME and suggested that Bartonella spp. is common in sea otters from Alaska and California.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 325-334 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Veterinary Microbiology |
| Volume | 170 |
| Issue number | 3-4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2014 |
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Keywords
- Bartonella
- Enhydra lutris
- Northern sea otter
- Southern sea otter
- Streptococcus bovis/equinus
- Vegetative valvular endocarditis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology
- veterinary(all)
Cite this
Novel Bartonella infection in northern and southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni and Enhydra lutris nereis). / Carrasco, Sebastian E.; Chomel, Bruno B; Gill, Verena A.; Kasten, Rickie W.; Maggi, Ricardo G.; Breitschwerdt, Edward B.; Byrne, Barbara A; Burek-Huntington, Kathleen A.; Miller, Melissa A.; Goldstein, Tracey; Mazet, Jonna A.
In: Veterinary Microbiology, Vol. 170, No. 3-4, 2014, p. 325-334.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Novel Bartonella infection in northern and southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni and Enhydra lutris nereis)
AU - Carrasco, Sebastian E.
AU - Chomel, Bruno B
AU - Gill, Verena A.
AU - Kasten, Rickie W.
AU - Maggi, Ricardo G.
AU - Breitschwerdt, Edward B.
AU - Byrne, Barbara A
AU - Burek-Huntington, Kathleen A.
AU - Miller, Melissa A.
AU - Goldstein, Tracey
AU - Mazet, Jonna A
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - 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 Streptococcus bovis/. equinus (SB/E) and Bartonella infections were associated with UME-related disease characterized by VVE and septicemia in Alaskan sea otter carcasses recovered 2004-2008. These bacteria were also evaluated in southern sea otters in California. Streptococcus bovis/. equinus were cultured from 45% (23/51) of northern sea otter heart valves, and biochemical testing and sequencing identified these isolates as Streptococcus infantarius subsp. coli. One-third of sea otter hearts were co-infected with Bartonella spp. Our analysis demonstrated that SB/E was strongly associated with UME-related disease in northern sea otters (P< 0.001). While Bartonella infection was also detected in 45% (23/51) and 10% (3/30) of heart valves of northern and southern sea otters examined, respectively, it was not associated with disease. Phylogenetic analysis of the Bartonella ITS region allowed detection of two Bartonella species, one novel species closely related to Bartonella spp. JM-1, B. washoensis and Candidatus B. volans and another molecularly identical to B. henselae. Our findings help to elucidate the role of pathogens in northern sea otter mortalities during this UME and suggested that Bartonella spp. is common in sea otters from Alaska and California.
AB - 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 Streptococcus bovis/. equinus (SB/E) and Bartonella infections were associated with UME-related disease characterized by VVE and septicemia in Alaskan sea otter carcasses recovered 2004-2008. These bacteria were also evaluated in southern sea otters in California. Streptococcus bovis/. equinus were cultured from 45% (23/51) of northern sea otter heart valves, and biochemical testing and sequencing identified these isolates as Streptococcus infantarius subsp. coli. One-third of sea otter hearts were co-infected with Bartonella spp. Our analysis demonstrated that SB/E was strongly associated with UME-related disease in northern sea otters (P< 0.001). While Bartonella infection was also detected in 45% (23/51) and 10% (3/30) of heart valves of northern and southern sea otters examined, respectively, it was not associated with disease. Phylogenetic analysis of the Bartonella ITS region allowed detection of two Bartonella species, one novel species closely related to Bartonella spp. JM-1, B. washoensis and Candidatus B. volans and another molecularly identical to B. henselae. Our findings help to elucidate the role of pathogens in northern sea otter mortalities during this UME and suggested that Bartonella spp. is common in sea otters from Alaska and California.
KW - Bartonella
KW - Enhydra lutris
KW - Northern sea otter
KW - Southern sea otter
KW - Streptococcus bovis/equinus
KW - Vegetative valvular endocarditis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84898487745&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84898487745&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.02.021
DO - 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.02.021
M3 - Article
C2 - 24629902
AN - SCOPUS:84898487745
VL - 170
SP - 325
EP - 334
JO - Veterinary Microbiology
JF - Veterinary Microbiology
SN - 0378-1135
IS - 3-4
ER -