Leptospirosis in Endangered Island Foxes and California Sea Lions: Outbreak Prediction and Prevention in a Changing World: Unforeseen Impacts of a Severe Oceanographic Anomaly on Pathogen Transmission in Marine Mammals
Abstract
Leptospirosis, the disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira, is a major health burden for humans and animals worldwide and a recognized risk for military personnel. Leptospira circulated endemically for decades in California sea lions (CSL: Zalophus californianus), then disappeared from 2013 to 2017 during a period of severe oceanographic anomalies. This project studied the ecology of Leptospira in CSL and their surrounding ecosystem, to understand how non-stationary environmental conditions contributed to the fadeout and re-emergence of the pathogen in this system. Our objectives were to learn: (1) what factors gave rise to the fadeout of Leptospira in the CSL population in 2013, (2) what conditions enabled the re-emergence of Leptospira in 2017, and (3) whether these perturbations had lasting impacts or whether CSL/Leptospira system dynamics returned to pre-fadeout patterns.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 18, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1229802
Entities
People
- Benny Borremans
- David Alt
- James O. Lloyd-Smith
- Katherine Prager
- Mary Volk
- Robert Delong
- Sarah Helman
Organizations
- Agricultural Research Service
- University of California, Los Angeles