Search

The bacteria in the Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex (SBEC) and Streptococcus phocae have caused significant morbidity and mortality in northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni). In order to illuminate the persistence and possible mechanisms of transmission of SBEC and S. phocae, the presence and absence of these bacteria were compared with 31 habitat attributes in Kachemak Bay and Resurrection Bay, Alaska. Bay mussels or water were collected at 1600‐m intervals around the perimeters of each bay and habitat attributes were recorded onsite and/or determined using ShoreZone. PCR was used to confirm the presence of bacteria, and presence was correlated with habitat attributes. Geographic spatial analysis revealed a cluster of low occurrence of both SBEC and S. phocae in an extremely shallow portion of Kachemak Bay that may be due to drying of the area between tide cycles. A cluster of high occurrence of S. phocae on the northeast side of the Kachemak Bay was identified that may be associated with harbor seal presence. No statistically significant clusters were found in Resurrection Bay. Habitat attributes (rockweed, eelgrass, habitat class, soft brown kelp and substrates of rock, sand and boulder) were found to be associated with presence of the target bacteria; however, relationships were not consistent with the bacteria or each bay. This could be due to the complexity of the relationship between SBEC and S. phocae and their environments, as well as intrinsic differences (such as nearshore temperatures) between Kachemak and Resurrection Bays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the world’s sea otters reside in Alaska, but there has never been an assessment of long-term mortality patterns for this keystone predator. We examined data collected from 780 northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) carcasses recovered in Alaska from 2002 to 2012 to evaluate the causes of mortality and risk factors associated with death. A smaller group (n = 144, 18%) of fresh non-frozen carcasses were included in a more detailed mortality analysis. Forty-four% of the fresh dead otters were determined to have died from infectious endocarditis, meningoencephalitis, and/or septicemia due to systemic streptococcosis (“Strep syndrome”). Streptococcus lutetiensis, a member of the Streptococcus bovis/equinus (SB/E) group was most commonly isolated, although other members of the SB/E group were identified. There were fewer cases where S. phocae and other streptococci were isolated. A regression analysis revealed age and location risk factors for Strep syndrome. Subadults were the highest risk age group, and otters recovered from the Kachemak Bay region were 3.6 times (95% CI: 2.2–5.9) more likely to die from Strep syndrome than otters recovered elsewhere. Diagnosis of this Strep syndrome had not been reported in other marine mammals in Alaska. Sporadic cases of septicemia and infectious endocarditis due to S. lutetiensis have been seen in the southern sea otter population in California. Other causes of death for the fresh otters included neurologic diseases (10%), trauma (8%), nutritional diseases (7%), cardiovascular diseases (7%), gastrointestinal diseases /parasites (6%), undetermined (5%), septicemia (3%), and neoplasia (3%). All other causes of death (oiling, hepatobiliary, fungal, marine biotoxins, pulmonary) were at or below 1%. Twenty percent of fresh animals were positive for phocine distemper virus (PDV) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR, 11/55), 18% seropositive for PDV (7/38), and paramyxovirus-like particles were demonstrated by electron microscopy within inclusion bodies from one animal. Low concentrations of the harmful algal bloom toxins domoic acid and saxitoxin were also detected in 26% and 22% of fresh animals, respectively. Protozoal disease was rare. These patterns of disease differ from sea otters in other regions and possible reasons are discussed.