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Gardner BR, Hufschmid J, Stenos J, Tadepalli M, Sutton G, Fromant A, Eizenberg Y, Geeson JJ, Arnould JPY. Pacific Gulls ( Larus pacificus) as Potential Vectors of Coxiella burnetii in an Australian Fur Seal Breeding Colony. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010122. [PMID: 36678470 PMCID: PMC9864253 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, Coxiella burnetii has been described as a novel pathogen potentially contributing to decreased pup production in Australian fur seals (AusFS, Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). Pacific gulls (PGs, Larus pacificus) are known to scavenge AusFS placental material during the fur seal breeding season. It is hypothesized that PGs may act as vectors for this pathogen. In the present study, cloacal swabs, oral swabs and serum were collected from PGs on Kanowna Island (KI, an AusFS breeding colony) and a nearby island, Seal Island (SI), not occupied by pinnipeds. All sample sets were evaluated with qPCR for the com1, htpAB and IS1111 markers. Most oral and cloacal swabs from KI tested positive on both the com1 (94.1%; 88.2%) and htpAB targets (76.5%; 76.5%). Amplification was very low from the SI oral swabs and cloacal swabs. Only the KI serum samples had amplification (17.7% for both com1 and htpAB). There was no IS1111 amplification in either colony. The results demonstrate that PGs can potentially act as vectors for the spread of C. burnetii. In some birds, C. burnetii was detectable in the serum, indicating that gulls can experience bacteraemia. It appears that different feeding strategies in the same species within the same ecosystem can have profound effects on the prevalence of pathogens. Further studies are required to better understand the epidemiology and potential risks of this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett R. Gardner
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3030, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Jasmin Hufschmid
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - John Stenos
- Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, University Hospital Geelong, Bellerine Street, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Mythili Tadepalli
- Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, University Hospital Geelong, Bellerine Street, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Grace Sutton
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Aymeric Fromant
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Yonina Eizenberg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3125, Australia
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Johanna J. Geeson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3125, Australia
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Kliska K, McIntosh RR, Jonsen I, Hume F, Dann P, Kirkwood R, Harcourt R. Environmental correlates of temporal variation in the prey species of Australian fur seals inferred from scat analysis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211723. [PMID: 36249336 PMCID: PMC9532993 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Marine ecosystems in southeastern Australia are responding rapidly to climate change. We monitored the diet of the Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), a key marine predator, over 17 years (1998-2014) to examine temporal changes. Frequency of occurrence (FO) of prey was used as a proxy for ecosystem change. Hard part analysis identified 71 prey taxa, with eight dominant taxa in greater than 70% of samples and predominantly included benthic and small pelagic fish. FO changed over time, e.g. redbait (Emmelichthys nitidus) reduced after 2005 when jack mackerel (Trachurus declivis) increased, and pilchard (Sardinops sajax) increased after 2009. Using generalized additive models, correlations between FO and environmental variables were evident at both the local (e.g. wind, sea surface temperature (SST)) and regional (e.g. El Niño-Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), Southern Annular Mode (SAM)) scales, with redbait and pilchard showing the best model fits (greater than 75% deviance explained). Positive SAM was correlated to FO for both species, and wind and season were important for redbait, while SOI and SST were important for pilchard. Both large-scale and regional processes influenced prey taxa in variable ways. We predict that the diverse and adaptable diet of the Australian fur seal will be advantageous in a rapidly changing ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley Kliska
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rebecca R. McIntosh
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ian Jonsen
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Fiona Hume
- Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter Dann
- Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Victoria, Australia
| | - Roger Kirkwood
- Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Victoria, Australia
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, South Australia, Australia
| | - Robert Harcourt
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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