Transcript Interim Report Alaska Ice seal and Pacific Walruses Unusual

The 2011 Alaska Northern Pinniped Unusual Mortality
Event: A case study for Cross-Border Disease Surveillance
and Baseline Marine Mammal Health Research
R. Stimmelmayr1, S. Raverty2, T. Rowles3, J. Garlich-Miller4
1North
Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, Barrow, USA; 2WGMMUME Animal
Health Center, British Columbia MAFF, Abbotsford, Canada; 3National Marine Fisheries Service,
Office of Protected Resources, 4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Marine Mammals Management,
Anchorage, AK 99503, USA Alaska
Email: [email protected]
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite Coordinator
US-CAN, 2012
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The “New” Arctic
• Arctic marine food webs are under immense pressure
• climate change
• global pollution
• gas-oil exploration and production
• commercial fisheries and shipping
• Complex spatial-temporal shifts in ecology and subsequently epidemiological
constraints. The ecosystem is changing.
• Altered disease dynamics, and new hosts are a likely result.
• Continuing trend until “new “ Equilibriums are reached
• Expansion of infectious disease investigations and wildlife health biomedical
baseline studies, concurrent to already established ecological/biological
research, and subsistence foods contaminant-monitoring programs are
therefore needed.
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Ulcerative Dermatitis Disease
Syndrome
• In 2011 (summer/fall)
a “new” ulcerative
dermatitis disease
syndrome of
unknown etiology
was observed in ice
seals in Northern
Alaska.
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Ulcerative Dermatitis Disease
Syndrome
• Ringed seals were primarily affected, but the
disease was observed in spotted, bearded, and
ribbon seals, but differences exist in clinical
presentation.
• A similar skin condition has been observed in
Pacific walruses at a haul-out in Alaska (Point
Lay) and one in Chukotka, Russia.
Ringed seal Range
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Arctic KEY SPECIES
• Ice seals and Pacific walruses are key species within the Arctic
and essential subsistence resources for Native communities
throughout the Arctic.
• Food safety and security are integral components of this
emerging Arctic marine mammal disease.
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Ulcerative Dermatitis Disease
Syndrome
• The disease is
characterized by a
variety of skin lesions
(ulcers/erosion) with
body site specific
distribution (eyes;
snout; hind flippers;
tail, trunk) for ice seals
and a more
generalized
distribution for Pacific
walruses.
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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• Cohorts: All age groups and both sexes were affected.
• Morbidity and mortality: disease burden and rates are
unknown. NOTE: animals appear to be able to recover but
more data needed
• Zoonotic Risk: No apparent animal-human transmission
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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What Do We Know ?
Ulcerative Dermatitis Disease Syndrome
• Etiology and Epidemiology:
Ulcerative dermatitis is an
emerging disease of unknown
etiology in ice seals, not
observed prior to 2011.
• Geographic Range: Reports of
a similar condition in ringed
seals have come from
Chukotka (Russia), NWT
Canada, and northern Japan.
• Timing: The majority of cases
were observed during the ice
free period (June - October).
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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The ongoing disease investigation is a process of
elimination of factors
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Current State of Knowledge
• No evidence that common viruses (e.g., seal
pox, herpes, calici virus etc.) or avian
influenza virus are involved.
• Possibly “new” viruses involved? Analyses
are still pending.
• No single bacterium (or assemblages) have
emerged consistently as being the primarily
responsible candidate (s).
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Current State of Knowledge
• Algae toxins (domoic acid and saxotoxin) have been at
very low levels or below detection level.
• Cyanotoxin testing for microcystins and nodularin from
green blue algae blooms is being explored.
• Contaminants testing is near completion and results of
levels of organic chemicals and radionuclides (cesium
134/137 from the Fukushima nuclear accident) are
currently being reviewed.
• Also testing of levels of thyroid and cortisol (stress)
hormones and vitamins (A, B, E). Both hormones and
these vitamins are important regulators in the seasonal
molting process of ice seals and in maintaining normal
skin barrier function.
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Current State of Knowledge
• Ecosystem investigations: working with many
oceanographers to compile ocean data, ice seal
and walrus food resources from 2011 and 2012
for the affected regions to compare it with
previous years.
• Available data does suggest that 2011 was more
or less typical of the “new” Arctic normal, with
continued retreating sea ice, warmer ocean
waters, ice algae blooms, jellyfish abundance,
and more unpredictable weather patterns.
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Single or Multi year Disease Event?
• Spring seal harvests mostly indicated healthy and normal
seals,
• Low numbers of stranding events on the North Slope from
both beach surveys, and aerial surveys (USCG and ADF&G)
• No new reports from Chukotka, NWT, Japan
• The disease event may have come to an end as we have
no evidence of new cases.
• Final conclusion needs additional monitoring during the
fall and early winter.
• Hunters and community members need to remain vigilant
and continue to report “sick” or abnormal seal and walrus
sightings.
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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“EYE of the Beholder”
ALASKA UME : Opportunities, Challenges, Constraints
•
Marine Mammals and Communities:
– Multiple species; (USFWS/NOAA)
– ESA listing pending for Ice seals and
walrus;
– Trans-boundary movement (Russia;
Alaska, Canada, Japan )
– Mixed marine based Subsistence
economy & Food Sharing
– Arctic Logistics –infrastructure –climate
dynamics etc
– Hunter/community based disease
surveillance system in place
– Co-management approach to UME
investigation
– Integration and Application of
Traditional ecological knowledge &
Hunter Expertise
– Collaboration – tribal-state-federalStimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
provinces- international
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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Building an Arctic Marine Mammal
Health Alert and Response Team
• Trans-boundary collaboration on marine
mammal health assessment
• Identify and fill ecological-physiologicalhealth knowledge gaps of Ice seals and
walruses
• Co-management approach
• Strengthen and Integrate Hunter-based
health surveillance and TEK in health
monitoring efforts
• Sharing of Data, Results, and Vision for a
future with sustainable subsistence
• Maintain Arctic Communities ability to
engage in subsistence activities to
provide safe, sufficient and nutritious
native foods.
Stimmelmayr ALASKA UME Onsite
Coordinator US-CAN, 2012
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