Gaydos Joseph K, Conrad Patricia A, Gilardi Kirsten V K, Blundell Gail M, Ben-David Merav
University of California, Davis, Wildlife Health Center, Orcas Island Office, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1016 Deer Harbor Road, Eastsound, Washington 98245, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2007 Jan;43(1):116-23. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-43.1.116.
The investigation of diseases of free-ranging river otters (Lontra canadensis) is a primary conservation priority for this species; however, very little is known about diseases of river otters that forage in marine environments. To identify and better understand pathogens that could be important to marine-foraging river otters, other wildlife species, domestic animals, and humans and to determine if proximity to human population could be a factor in disease exposure, serum samples from 55 free-ranging marine-foraging river otters were tested for antibodies to selected pathogens. Thirty-five animals were captured in Prince William Sound, Alaska (USA), an area of low human density, and 20 were captured in the San Juan Islands, Washington State (USA), an area characterized by higher human density. Of 40 river otters tested by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test, 17.5% were seropositive (titer > or =320) for Toxoplasma gondii. All positive animals came from Washington. Of 35 river otters tested for antibodies to Leptospira interrogans using the microscopic agglutination test, 10 of 20 (50%) from Washington were seropositive (titer > or =200). None of the 15 tested animals from Alaska were positive. Antibodies to Neospora caninum (n=40), Sarcocystis neurona (n=40), Brucella abortus (n=55), avian influenza (n=40), canine distemper virus (n=55), phocine distemper virus (n=55), dolphin morbillivirus (n=55), porpoise morbillivirus (n=55), and Aleutian disease parvovirus (n=46) were not detected. Identifying exposure to T. gondii and L. interrogans in otters from Washington State but not in otters from Alaska suggests that living proximal to higher human density and its associated agricultural activities, domestic animals, and rodent populations could enhance river otter exposure to these pathogens.
对野生水獭（加拿大水獭）疾病的调查是该物种保护的首要任务；然而，对于在海洋环境中觅食的水獭的疾病，我们知之甚少。为了识别并更好地了解可能对在海洋中觅食的水獭、其他野生动物、家畜和人类至关重要的病原体，并确定接近人类种群是否可能是疾病暴露的一个因素，对55只野生海洋觅食水獭的血清样本进行了选定病原体抗体检测。35只动物在美国阿拉斯加威廉王子湾捕获，该地区人口密度低，20只在美国华盛顿州圣胡安群岛捕获，该地区人口密度较高。在通过间接免疫荧光抗体试验检测的40只水獭中，17.5%对刚地弓形虫呈血清阳性（滴度≥320）。所有阳性动物均来自华盛顿州。在使用显微镜凝集试验检测针对问号钩端螺旋体抗体的35只水獭中，来自华盛顿州的20只中有10只（50%）呈血清阳性（滴度≥200）。来自阿拉斯加的15只受试动物均为阴性。未检测到犬新孢子虫（n = 40）、肉孢子虫（n = 40）、牛布鲁氏菌（n = 55）、禽流感（n = 40）、犬瘟热病毒（n = 55）、海豹瘟热病毒（n = 55）、海豚麻疹病毒（n = 55）、鼠海豚麻疹病毒（n = 55）和阿留申病细小病毒（n = 46）的抗体。在华盛顿州水獭中检测到对刚地弓形虫和问号钩端螺旋体的暴露，而阿拉斯加水獭中未检测到，这表明生活在人口密度较高及其相关农业活动、家畜和啮齿动物种群附近可能会增加水獭接触这些病原体的机会。
