Seroconversion in Galapagos Sea Lions () Confirms the Presence of Canine Distemper Virus in Rookeries of San Cristóbal Island

Overview

Journal Animals (Basel)

Date 2023 Dec 9

PMID 38067007

Authors

Julian Ruiz-Saenz

Veronica Barragan

Colon Jaime Grijalva-Rosero

Eduardo A Diaz

Diego Paez-Rosas

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The emblematic Galapagos sea lion (GSL-) has faced an important population decline over the last four decades. There are multiple environmental and biological factors that might be implied in this decrease. Recently, evidence of various zoonotic infectious diseases that can be potential threats has been reported. Considering that in some islands of the archipelago the risk of transmission of infectious diseases may be promoted by the increasing population of domestic dogs, epidemiological vigilance and search of new pathogens are essential. The canine distemper virus (CDV), one of the viral pathogens that generate the most concern for the agencies responsible for the management and conservation of the Galapagos pinnipeds, was detected in the GSL in 2010. However, there is scarce information about its impact on GSL health and about its epidemiology.

Methods: In this study, 110 GSL serum samples were collected during the summer of 2016 and 2017. All samples were exposed to VERO dog SLAM cells expressing the canine SLAM receptor.

Results: Our results showed a significative increase ( = 0.04) in the frequency of neutralizing antibodies to CDV in the 2017 (53.1%) samples compared to the 2016 samples (19.6%).

Conclusions: Our work confirmed the continuous and increasing circulation of the CDV in the GSL and highlights the importance of monitoring emerging diseases that can be transmitted from domestic to wildlife species. Vigilance of CDV is essential to understand the role of this virus in GSL mortality and to take informed decisions for wildlife conservation.

Citing Articles

Canine vector-borne parasites in the Galapagos.

Culda C, Rodriguez N, Puleo F, Sosa R, Panait L, Cazan C Parasit Vectors. 2024; 17(1):515.

PMID: 39696600 PMC: 11656949. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06592-z.

Molecular Discovery of Filarial Nematode DNA in an Endangered Wild Pinniped (Galapagos Sea Lion, ).

Livingston I, Gregory T, Hawkins E, Cave A, Loyola A, Vaden S Ecol Evol. 2024; 14(11):e70596.

PMID: 39588350 PMC: 11586683. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70596.

References

Vega-Marino P, Olson J, Howitt B, Criollo R, Figueroa L, Orlando S . A recent distemper virus outbreak in the growing canine populations of Galapagos Islands: a persistent threat for the endangered Galapagos Sea Lion. Front Vet Sci. 2023; 10:1154625. PMC: 10203394. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1154625. View

Diaz N, Mendez G, Grijalva C, Walden H, Cruz M, Aragon E . Dog overpopulation and burden of exposure to canine distemper virus and other pathogens on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Prev Vet Med. 2015; 123:128-137. DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2015.11.016. View

Wilkes R . Canine Distemper Virus in Endangered Species: Species Jump, Clinical Variations, and Vaccination. Pathogens. 2023; 12(1). PMC: 9862170. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010057. View

Robinson S, Barbieri M, Murphy S, Baker J, Harting A, Craft M . Model recommendations meet management reality: implementation and evaluation of a network-informed vaccination effort for endangered Hawaiian monk seals. Proc Biol Sci. 2018; 285(1870). PMC: 5784189. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1899. View

Visser I, Vedder E, van de Bildt M, Orvell C, Barrett T, Osterhaus A . Canine distemper virus ISCOMs induce protection in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) against phocid distemper but still allow subsequent infection with phocid distemper virus-1. Vaccine. 1992; 10(7):435-8. DOI: 10.1016/0264-410x(92)90390-6. View

Kennedy S, Kuiken T, Jepson P, Deaville R, Forsyth M, Barrett T . Mass die-Off of Caspian seals caused by canine distemper virus. Emerg Infect Dis. 2000; 6(6):637-9. PMC: 2640919. DOI: 10.3201/eid0606.000613. View

Pujol J, Rousseau C, Vergneau-Grosset C . SEROLOGIC RESPONSE AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF RECOMBINANT CANINE DISTEMPER VACCINATION IN THREE AQUARIUM-HOUSED WALRUSES (). J Zoo Wildl Med. 2023; 54(1):131-136. DOI: 10.1638/2022-0018. View

Denkinger J, Guevara N, Ayala S, Murillo J, Hirschfeld M, Montero-Serra I . PUP MORTALITY AND EVIDENCE FOR PATHOGEN EXPOSURE IN GALAPAGOS SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS WOLLEBAEKI) ON SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND, GALAPAGOS, ECUADOR. J Wildl Dis. 2017; 53(3):491-498. DOI: 10.7589/2016-05-092. View

Paez-Rosas D, Torres J, Espinoza E, Marchetti A, Seim H, Riofrio-Lazo M . Declines and recovery in endangered Galapagos pinnipeds during the El Niño event. Sci Rep. 2021; 11(1):8785. PMC: 8075323. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88350-0. View

10.

Visser I, vd Bildt M, Brugge H, Reijnders P, Vedder E, Kuiper J . Vaccination of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) against phocid distemper with two different inactivated canine distemper virus (CDV) vaccines. Vaccine. 1989; 7(6):521-6. DOI: 10.1016/0264-410x(89)90276-4. View

11.

Jessup D, Murray M, Casper D, Brownstein D, Kreuder-Johnson C . Canine distemper vaccination is a safe and useful preventive procedure for southern sea otters (Enhydra lutra nereis). J Zoo Wildl Med. 2010; 40(4):705-10. DOI: 10.1638/2008-0080.1. View

12.

Duignan P, Van Bressem M, Baker J, Barbieri M, Colegrove K, De Guise S . Phocine distemper virus: current knowledge and future directions. Viruses. 2014; 6(12):5093-134. PMC: 4276944. DOI: 10.3390/v6125093. View

13.

Echeverry-Bonilla D, Buritica-Gaviria E, Orjuela-Acosta D, Chinchilla-Cardenas D, Ruiz-Saenz J . The First Report and Phylogenetic Analysis of Canine Distemper Virus in from Colombia. Viruses. 2022; 14(9). PMC: 9502595. DOI: 10.3390/v14091947. View

14.

Fuques E, Tomas G, Grecco S, Condon E, Techera C, Marandino A . Origin and spreading of canine morbillivirus in South America. Virus Res. 2022; 319:198858. DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198858. View

15.

Gregory T, Parker M, Deresienski D, Alarcon-Ruales D, Munoz-Perez J, Torres J . Evaluating the Possibility of Transfusion Medicine, Through Crossmatching in Juvenile Galapagos Sea Lions (). Front Vet Sci. 2022; 9:830272. PMC: 9070388. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.830272. View

16.

Culda C, Dionnet R, Barbu A, Carstolovean A, Dan T, Grijalva J . The Presence of in Domestic Dogs on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos. Pathogens. 2022; 11(11). PMC: 9696258. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111287. View

17.

Sarute N, Perez R, Aldaz J, Alfieri A, Alfieri A, Name D . Molecular typing of canine distemper virus strains reveals the presence of a new genetic variant in South America. Virus Genes. 2014; 48(3):474-8. DOI: 10.1007/s11262-014-1054-z. View

18.

Baker J, Harting A, Barbieri M, Robinson S, Gulland F, Littnan C . MODELING A MORBILLIVIRUS OUTBREAK IN HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS (NEOMONACHUS SCHAUINSLANDI) TO AID IN THE DESIGN OF MITIGATION PROGRAMS. J Wildl Dis. 2017; 53(4):736-748. DOI: 10.7589/2016-10-238. View

19.

Quinley N, Mazet J, Rivera R, Schmitt T, Dold C, McBain J . Serologic response of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) to vaccination with a recombinant canine distemper vaccine. J Wildl Dis. 2013; 49(3):579-86. DOI: 10.7589/2012-06-156. View

20.

Duque-Valencia J, Forero-Munoz N, Diaz F, Martins E, Barato P, Ruiz-Saenz J . Phylogenetic evidence of the intercontinental circulation of a Canine distemper virus lineage in the Americas. Sci Rep. 2019; 9(1):15747. PMC: 6823503. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52345-9. View