Inaugural Conference - June 2002

BRUCELLA IN HARBOUR SEALS

Jaap Wagenaar¹, Anky Schoormans¹, Ab Osterhaus² and Thijs Kuiken³.

1. Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostic Center, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
2. Institute of Virology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
3. Seal Research and Rehabilitation Centre, Pieterburen

In several papers, the isolation of Brucellae from marine mammals is described. Our study was performed to assess whether (i) harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) can be carrier of Brucellae in internal organs which may serve as indicator organ for the routine isolation of Brucellae and (ii) the presence of Brucellae was related to gross lesions. Samples from seven organs (lung, liver, spleen, kidney, tracheo-bronchial and external iliac lymph nodes, and uterus or testis) were collected from harbour seals (fetus, juvenile, or adult) (n= 39) obtained in the period at 1999 - 2002 from the coast of the Netherlands or U.K., and cultured for Brucellae.
Brucellae were isolated from different organs of 12 harbour seals.
In 11 of 12 cases, the tissues from which Brucella was isolated included lung or tracheo-bronchial lymph node, indicating that submission of these two latter organs are relevant for the detection of Brucellae. In the remaining case, Brucella was isolated from spleen and liver. Seals with bronchopneumonia associated with lungworm infection appeared to be predisposed to the isolation of Brucella.
The epidemiology of Brucellae in seals, their clinical and zoonotic relevance will be discussed.

previous    overview    next

Go back	Go forward
This site is maintained by JaDes	top