Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a Climate Change Indicator in Alaska Marine Mammals

Abstract

Since 1999, the Alaska SeaLife Center has routinely screened live marine animals found in distress, and those found dead, for fecal pathogens (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli 0157, Campylobacter, Vibrio spp.) and exposure to a variety of diseases known to affect marine mammals and/ or humans (e.g., Brucella, Morbillivirus, Leptospirosis, Herpesvirus). Additionally, projects investigating wild populations screen live cap-042 Goertz et al.-V. parahaemolyticus, a Climate Change Indicator tured animals and subsistence harvested animals for the same conditions circulating in wild populations. One fecal pathogen in particular, Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp), is considered an indicator of climate change as this organism proliferates only in waters with temperatures higher than 15°C. The State of Alaska began screening oysters for Vp in 1995, but did not detect Vp until summer 2004 when the first human outbreak of Vp-associated gastroenteritis was documented, involving 62 people who consumed raw oysters from Prince William Sound. Since then, marine mammal researchers on stranding and live capture projects have found Vp, including isolates with known pathogenicity factors, in several (17 stranded, 2 live captured, 1 subsistence) northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni), a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). The positive Vp isolates found in Seward, Cook Inlet, Kachemak Bay, Kodiak, and Dillingham represent the first reports of the bacteria in those areas.

Bacteriostatic suppression in Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) exposed to manganese or hypoxia under pressure of ocean acidification

“…In the experimental waters of the present study the temperature was kept at ∼12 • C and at such low temperature, V. parahaemolyticus is supposed to persist but not proliferate (Goertz et al, 2013). Therefore, the investigation of its culturability was carried out at RT where inoculated bacteria that were recovered from lobsters were able to grow on TCBS agar plates, despite being in vivo at 12 • C for 24 h. Since higher temperature is supposed to favor the growth of V. parahaemolyticus and their pathogenicity (Mahoney et al, 2010), it is possible that climate change with gradually increasing seawater temperatures will further negatively displace the outcome of the host-pathogen scenario that was tested here.…”

“…Water temperature has great influence on the presence and seasonal distribution of V. parahaemolyticus (Collin et al, 2012;Parveen et al, 2008). Consequently, climate change is expected to influence its geographical spreading (Goertz et al, 2013;Martinez-Urtaza et al, 2010). Hosts' immune defense is normally adapted to the locally common pathogens but can be more susceptible when novel pathogens occur in the surroundings (Roth et al, 2012).…”

Nasopulmonary mites (Acari: Halarachnidae) as potential vectors of bacterial pathogens, including Streptococcus phocae, in marine mammals

“…parahaemolyticus was also detected in NPMs but was not abundant. This pathogen can cause severe gastroenteritis in humans [ 76 ], and is increasingly reported among sick or stranded marine mammals [ 77 ], including sea otters [ 25 ]. A sea otter with Vibrio spp.-positive NPM in the current study (SO7139-14) was also culture-positive for Vibrio spp.…”

Causes of Mortality of Northern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Alaska From 2002 to 2012

“…In certain cases, some bacteria (i.e., SB/E and Vibrio spp.) were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA) and the Alaska State Public Health Laboratory (Anchorage, AK) for further typing (Counihan-Edgar et al, 2012;Goertz et al, 2013).…”

“…Data from stranded sea otters have aided in the documentation of anthropogenic drivers of infectious diseases, such as land-based freshwater runoff as a source of Toxoplasma gondii and Capillaria hepatica infection in southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis ;Miller et al, 2002a;VanWormer et al, 2016;Miller et al, 2020). Changes in infectious diseases in sea otters may also correlate with climate change parameters, such as increased sea surface temperatures along with increases in Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections (Goertz et al, 2013) and expansion of the distribution of phocine distemper virus associated with reductions in sea ice (VanWormer et al, 2019).…”