Serosurvey for Trichinella in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea

Kjetil Åsbakk; Jon Aars; Andrew E. Derocher; Øystein Wiig; Antti Oksanen; Erik W. Born; Rune Dietz; Christian Sonne; Jacques Godfroid; Christian Moliin Outzen Kapel

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.05.018

Serosurvey for Trichinella in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea

Kjetil Åsbakk, Jon Aars, Andrew E. Derocher, Øystein Wiig, Antti Oksanen, Erik W. Born, Rune Dietz, Christian Sonne, Jacques Godfroid, Christian Moliin Outzen Kapel

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Blood samples of live-caught polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard collected 1991-2000 (Period 1) and 2006-2008 (Period 2) and from the pack ice of the Barents Sea collected in Period 1, were assayed for antibodies against Trichinella spp. by ELISA. Of 54 cubs-of-the-year included in the Period 1 sample, 53 were seronegative, indicating that exposure to Trichinella infected meat is uncommon during the first months of life for polar bears in the Svalbard region. Of 30 mother-offspring pairs, 18 mothers were seropositive with seronegative offspring (n= 27), suggesting (1) that maternal antibodies had dropped to levels below detection limit by the time of capture in April (offspring approximately 4 months old), and (2) supporting experimental studies in other animal models showing that vertical transmission of Trichinella spp. is uncommon. Bear 1 year and older had higher prevalence in Svalbard (78%) than in the Barents Sea (51%). There was no temporal change in prevalence for bears from Svalbard during the time between the two periods. The prevalence increased with age in both sexes. A positive correlation was found between anti- Toxoplasma gondii and anti- Trichinella spp. antibodies.

Original language	English
Journal	Veterinary Parasitology
Volume	172
Issue number	3-4
Pages (from-to)	256-263
Number of pages	8
ISSN	0304-4017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.05.018
Publication status	Published - Sept 2010

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@article{1b081051b1a444eb984767bb2ff12eb1,

title = "Serosurvey for Trichinella in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea",

abstract = "Blood samples of live-caught polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard collected 1991-2000 (Period 1) and 2006-2008 (Period 2) and from the pack ice of the Barents Sea collected in Period 1, were assayed for antibodies against Trichinella spp. by ELISA. Of 54 cubs-of-the-year included in the Period 1 sample, 53 were seronegative, indicating that exposure to Trichinella infected meat is uncommon during the first months of life for polar bears in the Svalbard region. Of 30 mother-offspring pairs, 18 mothers were seropositive with seronegative offspring (n= 27), suggesting (1) that maternal antibodies had dropped to levels below detection limit by the time of capture in April (offspring approximately 4 months old), and (2) supporting experimental studies in other animal models showing that vertical transmission of Trichinella spp. is uncommon. Bear 1 year and older had higher prevalence in Svalbard (78%) than in the Barents Sea (51%). There was no temporal change in prevalence for bears from Svalbard during the time between the two periods. The prevalence increased with age in both sexes. A positive correlation was found between anti- Toxoplasma gondii and anti- Trichinella spp. antibodies.",

author = "Kjetil {\AA}sbakk and Jon Aars and Derocher, {Andrew E.} and {\O}ystein Wiig and Antti Oksanen and Born, {Erik W.} and Rune Dietz and Christian Sonne and Jacques Godfroid and Kapel, {Christian Moliin Outzen}",

year = "2010",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.05.018",

language = "English",

volume = "172",

pages = "256--263",

journal = "Veterinary Parasitology",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Serosurvey for Trichinella in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea

AU - Åsbakk, Kjetil

AU - Aars, Jon

AU - Derocher, Andrew E.

AU - Wiig, Øystein

AU - Oksanen, Antti

AU - Born, Erik W.

AU - Dietz, Rune

AU - Sonne, Christian

AU - Godfroid, Jacques

AU - Kapel, Christian Moliin Outzen

PY - 2010/9

Y1 - 2010/9

N2 - Blood samples of live-caught polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard collected 1991-2000 (Period 1) and 2006-2008 (Period 2) and from the pack ice of the Barents Sea collected in Period 1, were assayed for antibodies against Trichinella spp. by ELISA. Of 54 cubs-of-the-year included in the Period 1 sample, 53 were seronegative, indicating that exposure to Trichinella infected meat is uncommon during the first months of life for polar bears in the Svalbard region. Of 30 mother-offspring pairs, 18 mothers were seropositive with seronegative offspring (n= 27), suggesting (1) that maternal antibodies had dropped to levels below detection limit by the time of capture in April (offspring approximately 4 months old), and (2) supporting experimental studies in other animal models showing that vertical transmission of Trichinella spp. is uncommon. Bear 1 year and older had higher prevalence in Svalbard (78%) than in the Barents Sea (51%). There was no temporal change in prevalence for bears from Svalbard during the time between the two periods. The prevalence increased with age in both sexes. A positive correlation was found between anti- Toxoplasma gondii and anti- Trichinella spp. antibodies.

AB - Blood samples of live-caught polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard collected 1991-2000 (Period 1) and 2006-2008 (Period 2) and from the pack ice of the Barents Sea collected in Period 1, were assayed for antibodies against Trichinella spp. by ELISA. Of 54 cubs-of-the-year included in the Period 1 sample, 53 were seronegative, indicating that exposure to Trichinella infected meat is uncommon during the first months of life for polar bears in the Svalbard region. Of 30 mother-offspring pairs, 18 mothers were seropositive with seronegative offspring (n= 27), suggesting (1) that maternal antibodies had dropped to levels below detection limit by the time of capture in April (offspring approximately 4 months old), and (2) supporting experimental studies in other animal models showing that vertical transmission of Trichinella spp. is uncommon. Bear 1 year and older had higher prevalence in Svalbard (78%) than in the Barents Sea (51%). There was no temporal change in prevalence for bears from Svalbard during the time between the two periods. The prevalence increased with age in both sexes. A positive correlation was found between anti- Toxoplasma gondii and anti- Trichinella spp. antibodies.

U2 - 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.05.018

DO - 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.05.018

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0304-4017

VL - 172

SP - 256

EP - 263

JO - Veterinary Parasitology

JF - Veterinary Parasitology

IS - 3-4

ER -

Serosurvey for Trichinella in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea

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