Pj. Duignan et al., EPIZOOTIOLOGY OF MORBILLIVIRUS INFECTION IN NORTH-AMERICAN HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA-VITULINA) AND GRAY SEALS (HALICHOERUS-GRYPUS), Journal of wildlife diseases, 31(4), 1995, pp. 491-501
A longitudinal study of morbillivirus infection among harbor (Phoca vi
tulina) and gray (Halichoerus grypus) seals on the Atlantic coast of N
orth America was carried out between 1980 and 1994. Serology also was
carried out on harbor seals from the Pacific northwest coast collected
in 1992 and 1993. The prevalence of morbillivirus neutralizing antibo
dies was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher in gray (73%, n = 296) than
in harbor seals (37%, n = 387) from the Atlantic. Titers were signifi
cantly (P < 0.0001) higher against phocine distemper (PDV) compared to
any other morbillivirus. Antibodies were not detected in serum from P
acific harbor seals. During the winter of 1991 to 1992 an epizootic oc
curred among harbor seals on the northeast coast of the United States.
The event was characterized by an increase in strandings and by a sig
nificant (P = 0.001) increase in PDV antibody prevalence to 83% (n = 3
6) in seals stranded that winter. Morbillivirus lesions and antigen we
re observed in six animals found stranded from southern Maine to Long
Island, New York (USA), between November 1991 and April 1992. In addit
ion, morbillivirus encephalitis was detected in tissues from a harbor
seal that stranded in 1988. Enzootic infection appeared to be present
in both seal species, although with a different prevalence of disease.
We propose that enzootic infection among gray seals is facilitated by
population size, high annual recruitment and innate resistance to cli
nical disease. Infection may be maintained in the smaller harbor seal
population through casual contact with gray seals.