Prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in West Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

Christian Sonne; Emilie Andersen-Ranberg; Elisabeth L. Rajala; Jørgen S. Agerholm; Eva Bonefeld-Jørgensen; Jean Pierre Desforges; Igor Eulaers; Kim Gustavson; Bjørn M. Jenssen; Anders Koch; Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid; Niels Martin Schmidt; Carsten Grøndahl; Jesper B. Mosbacher; Ursula Siebert; Morten Tryland; Gert Mulvad; Erik W. Born; Kristin Laidre; Øystein Wiig; Rune Dietz; Ulf Magnusson

doi:10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4

Prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in West Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

Christian Sonne^*, Emilie Andersen-Ranberg, Elisabeth L. Rajala, Jørgen S. Agerholm, Eva Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Jean Pierre Desforges, Igor Eulaers, Kim Gustavson, Bjørn M. Jenssen, Anders Koch, Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid, Niels Martin Schmidt, Carsten Grøndahl, Jesper B. Mosbacher, Ursula Siebert, Morten Tryland, Gert Mulvad, Erik W. Born, Kristin Laidre, Øystein WiigRune Dietz, Ulf Magnusson

^*Corresponding author for this work

Abstract

Zoonotic infections transmitted from terrestrial and marine mammals to humans in European Arctic are of unknown significance, despite considerable potential for transmission due to local hunt and a rapidly changing environment. As an example, infection with Brucella bacteria may have significant impact on human health due to consumption of raw meat or otherwise contact with tissues and fluids of infected game species such as muskoxen and polar bears. Here, we present serological results for Baffin Bay polar bears (Ursus maritimus) (n = 96) and North East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) (n = 32) for antibodies against Brucella spp. The analysis was a two-step trial initially using the Rose Bengal Test (RBT), followed by confirmative competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of RBT-positive samples. No muskoxen had antibodies against Brucella spp., while antibodies were detected in six polar bears (6.25%) rendering a seroprevalence in line with previous findings in other Arctic regions. Seropositivity was not related to sex, age or biometrics i.e. size and body condition. Whether Brucella spp. antibodies found in polar bears were due to either prey spill over or true recurrent Brucella spp. infections is unknown. Our results therefore highlight the importance of further research into the zoonotic aspects of Brucella spp. infections, and the impact on wildlife and human health in the Arctic region.

Original language	English
Journal	Polar Biology
Volume	41
Issue number	9
Pages (from-to)	1671-1680
Number of pages	10
ISSN	0722-4060
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4
Publication status	Published - 2018

Keywords

Arctic
Humans
One health
Zoonosis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4

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Sonne, C., Andersen-Ranberg, E., Rajala, E. L., Agerholm, J. S., Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E., Desforges, J. P., Eulaers, I., Gustavson, K., Jenssen, B. M., Koch, A., Rosing-Asvid, A., Schmidt, N. M., Grøndahl, C., Mosbacher, J. B., Siebert, U., Tryland, M., Mulvad, G., Born, E. W., Laidre, K., ... Magnusson, U. (2018). Prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in West Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus). Polar Biology, 41(9), 1671-1680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4

Sonne, C, Andersen-Ranberg, E, Rajala, EL, Agerholm, JS, Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E, Desforges, JP, Eulaers, I, Gustavson, K, Jenssen, BM, Koch, A, Rosing-Asvid, A, Schmidt, NM, Grøndahl, C, Mosbacher, JB, Siebert, U, Tryland, M, Mulvad, G, Born, EW, Laidre, K, Wiig, Ø, Dietz, R & Magnusson, U 2018, 'Prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in West Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)', Polar Biology, vol. 41, no. 9, pp. 1671-1680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4

@article{c0f2a60176014196ad591d14dce49e91,

title = "Prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in West Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)",

abstract = "Zoonotic infections transmitted from terrestrial and marine mammals to humans in European Arctic are of unknown significance, despite considerable potential for transmission due to local hunt and a rapidly changing environment. As an example, infection with Brucella bacteria may have significant impact on human health due to consumption of raw meat or otherwise contact with tissues and fluids of infected game species such as muskoxen and polar bears. Here, we present serological results for Baffin Bay polar bears (Ursus maritimus) (n = 96) and North East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) (n = 32) for antibodies against Brucella spp. The analysis was a two-step trial initially using the Rose Bengal Test (RBT), followed by confirmative competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of RBT-positive samples. No muskoxen had antibodies against Brucella spp., while antibodies were detected in six polar bears (6.25%) rendering a seroprevalence in line with previous findings in other Arctic regions. Seropositivity was not related to sex, age or biometrics i.e. size and body condition. Whether Brucella spp. antibodies found in polar bears were due to either prey spill over or true recurrent Brucella spp. infections is unknown. Our results therefore highlight the importance of further research into the zoonotic aspects of Brucella spp. infections, and the impact on wildlife and human health in the Arctic region.",

keywords = "Arctic, Humans, One health, Zoonosis",

author = "Christian Sonne and Emilie Andersen-Ranberg and Rajala, {Elisabeth L.} and Agerholm, {J{\o}rgen S.} and Eva Bonefeld-J{\o}rgensen and Desforges, {Jean Pierre} and Igor Eulaers and Kim Gustavson and Jenssen, {Bj{\o}rn M.} and Anders Koch and Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid and Schmidt, {Niels Martin} and Carsten Gr{\o}ndahl and Mosbacher, {Jesper B.} and Ursula Siebert and Morten Tryland and Gert Mulvad and Born, {Erik W.} and Kristin Laidre and {\O}ystein Wiig and Rune Dietz and Ulf Magnusson",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4",

language = "English",

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pages = "1671--1680",

journal = "Polar Biology",

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T1 - Prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in West Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

AU - Sonne, Christian

AU - Andersen-Ranberg, Emilie

AU - Rajala, Elisabeth L.

AU - Agerholm, Jørgen S.

AU - Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva

AU - Desforges, Jean Pierre

AU - Eulaers, Igor

AU - Gustavson, Kim

AU - Jenssen, Bjørn M.

AU - Koch, Anders

AU - Rosing-Asvid, Aqqalu

AU - Schmidt, Niels Martin

AU - Grøndahl, Carsten

AU - Mosbacher, Jesper B.

AU - Siebert, Ursula

AU - Tryland, Morten

AU - Mulvad, Gert

AU - Born, Erik W.

AU - Laidre, Kristin

AU - Wiig, Øystein

AU - Dietz, Rune

AU - Magnusson, Ulf

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Zoonotic infections transmitted from terrestrial and marine mammals to humans in European Arctic are of unknown significance, despite considerable potential for transmission due to local hunt and a rapidly changing environment. As an example, infection with Brucella bacteria may have significant impact on human health due to consumption of raw meat or otherwise contact with tissues and fluids of infected game species such as muskoxen and polar bears. Here, we present serological results for Baffin Bay polar bears (Ursus maritimus) (n = 96) and North East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) (n = 32) for antibodies against Brucella spp. The analysis was a two-step trial initially using the Rose Bengal Test (RBT), followed by confirmative competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of RBT-positive samples. No muskoxen had antibodies against Brucella spp., while antibodies were detected in six polar bears (6.25%) rendering a seroprevalence in line with previous findings in other Arctic regions. Seropositivity was not related to sex, age or biometrics i.e. size and body condition. Whether Brucella spp. antibodies found in polar bears were due to either prey spill over or true recurrent Brucella spp. infections is unknown. Our results therefore highlight the importance of further research into the zoonotic aspects of Brucella spp. infections, and the impact on wildlife and human health in the Arctic region.

AB - Zoonotic infections transmitted from terrestrial and marine mammals to humans in European Arctic are of unknown significance, despite considerable potential for transmission due to local hunt and a rapidly changing environment. As an example, infection with Brucella bacteria may have significant impact on human health due to consumption of raw meat or otherwise contact with tissues and fluids of infected game species such as muskoxen and polar bears. Here, we present serological results for Baffin Bay polar bears (Ursus maritimus) (n = 96) and North East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) (n = 32) for antibodies against Brucella spp. The analysis was a two-step trial initially using the Rose Bengal Test (RBT), followed by confirmative competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of RBT-positive samples. No muskoxen had antibodies against Brucella spp., while antibodies were detected in six polar bears (6.25%) rendering a seroprevalence in line with previous findings in other Arctic regions. Seropositivity was not related to sex, age or biometrics i.e. size and body condition. Whether Brucella spp. antibodies found in polar bears were due to either prey spill over or true recurrent Brucella spp. infections is unknown. Our results therefore highlight the importance of further research into the zoonotic aspects of Brucella spp. infections, and the impact on wildlife and human health in the Arctic region.

KW - Arctic

KW - Humans

KW - One health

KW - Zoonosis

U2 - 10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4

DO - 10.1007/s00300-018-2307-4

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85044097852

SN - 0722-4060

VL - 41

SP - 1671

EP - 1680

JO - Polar Biology

JF - Polar Biology

IS - 9

ER -

Prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in West Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and East Greenland muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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