Submitted by Ben Smith on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 06:00
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Oden Antarctic Expedition 08

Dear Jeff & the Oden Antarctic Expedition Team, -Happy Holidays to you & the entire Oden Research Team. Your text journal, photos, and videos are SUPERB! -Thank You Jeff. -Great seal research video! In a recent journal post, you mentioned that Dr. Tero Harkonen had determined that canine distemper virus had caused the extraordinary decline in the crabeater seal population in the mid-1950's. Has Dr. Harkonen and the research team found any recent evidence for brucellosis (usually found in cattle and other hoofed animals) in any of the Antarctic seal species? Similarly, has the team found any recent evidence of Bursal Disease Virus (a disease of domestic poultry) in any of the Antarctic penguin species?

Happy Holidays to you Jeff and to the entire Oden Antarctic Team. -Hoping you have the perfect lean-surface for your next Fika. Be Well, Ben Smith Environmental Science Peninsula High School California

Tue, 12/23/2008 - 10:43

Jeff Peneston

Ben,I am glad that you like my journal and the videos.   Your questions have caused me to consider a follow-up note in my journal to expand upon the questions of diseases in Antarctic wildlife.  
I sat down with Dr. Härkönen and we discussed your great questions.  Most of the research on seal diseases has been conducted in the Arctic.  Particularly in Scandinavia where several seal epidemics have occurred in the last few decades. Brucellosis and Bursal Disease are not on the list of viral infections that have been identified in seals.  However, he told me that listeria and bordetella bacterial infections of the lungs are being transmitted to Arctic seals by terrestrial animals.  There is also evidence that some penguins in Antarctica have been exposed to a poultry disease because of increased contact with humans.  What really concerns the seal biologists is that we know that Arctic seals can be infected by diseases from other animals and we know they have suffered from at least 10 bacterial infections and 5 viruses that they got from human contact including pox and strep.  But because of the isolation of the Antarctic seals, we know very little about their disease health and we have reason to believe they have virtually no immunity to the kinds of diseases that are bombarding Arctic seals.  When you consider the increasing potential for transmission of diseases to Antarctic seals, the situation is alarming.  Southern Elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals migrate from the southern coast of South America to Antarctica, and migrating birds go from pole to pole.  No one knows the potential for these animals to be vectors of an increasingly complex assortment of diseases for up north.  Another major concern is an increase in tourism and commercial fishing in Antarctica.  This increases the chances of accidental transmission of disease, especially from poorly treated human wastewater.
I hope everyone in your family and your school has a great holiday.  Remember to keep reading my journals over the break.  There are new videos coming!
Oh, I’ve got to go, it is almost time for fika!
Take care,
Jeff