Pathological and Parasitological Findings in South American Fur Seal Pups (Arctocephalus australis) in Uruguay

Abstract

This paper presents the necropsy findings in South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) pups from Uruguayan colonies. Animals (n = 105) were aged between 0 and 18 months old. From 0 to 6 months, 69.4% of the pups showed a poor body condition, while 68.8% of animals from 7 to 18 months had fair-to-good body condition. From 6 to 7 months of age, the stomach content included fishes, crustaceans, and foreign bodies. Starvation in the first months of life and traumatic lesions in pups older than 9 months were the most frequent causes of death. Uncinaria spp. was the only parasite found in the small intestine between 0 and 6 month-old pups. Parasites with indirect cycle (Contracaecum spp., Corynosoma sp., Tetrabothriidae) were present from 6 months of age as well as the first report of the nematode Strongyloides spp. in pinnipeds. Orthohalarachne spp. was found in the respiratory tract. Mycobacterium pinnipedii was isolated from 9 animals without gross pathological lesions. Other pathological conditions were found in lesser extent. This information contributes to the main causes of death of A. australis pups at different ages and could be useful to perform further health studies on this wild pinniped species.

Capture‐induced stress cardiomyopathy in South American fur seal pups (Arctophoca australis gracilis)

“…Additionally, prevalence and severity of hookworm disease is much greater in the Guafo Island SAFS population compared to in Atlantic rookeries (Katz et al . , Seguel et al . ).…”

Pinnipediae

“…Larva then migrates from the intestines or subcutaneous tissues to the host ventral blubber where they lie dormant until, in pregnant females, they migrate into the milk during late pregnancy. Adult hookworms survive in the intestinal tract of infected pups from around 6 weeks (Lyons et al, 2011) to 8 months (Hernandez-Orts et al, 2013;Katz et al, 2012;Lyons et al, 2000) depending on host species. During this time, they attach to the small intestinal mucosa and feed on blood.…”

New host and geographical records for Parafilaroides normani (Nematoda: Filaroididae) Dailey, 2009 in South American fur seal, Arctocephalus australis, from southern Brazil

“…Subadult specimens of A. australis that frequent coastal waters in southern Brazil come from Uruguay. A previous parasitological study in 105 pups (0–18 months of age) of the same species from Uruguayan reproductive colonies did not record the presence of pulmonary helminths (Katz et al ., 2012). The infection found in the subadult female reported in the present study suggests that the fur seals get the infection after 18 months of age, when many of them move away from the colonies toward southern Brazil and have a higher probability of encountering prey-infected organisms (Silva, 2004).…”