Marine Mammal Health: The Interrelationship of Autochthonous Viruses and Stress.
Abstract
Our overall goal was to improve the health and operational effectiveness of the Navy's working marine mammal systems wherever they may be deployed in the oceans of the world. Our supporting objectives in combination with those of the Hawaii and Kansas State Laboratories was to define more clearly the interrelationship of viral disease and stress and the decrement both impose upon the overall health of marine mammals including specific components of the immune system. In addition, we began to assess the epidemiologic aspects of some marine mammal viral disease agents as they may impact the worldwide deployment of Navy animals and the health of personnel working in the water with these animals. Our approach for addressing these goals was as follows. Captive marine mammals were tested for autochthonous virus shedding, and the presence of specific antibodies. These data were correlated on an opportunistic basis with a clinical assessment of the individual animal's overall health and known stresses such as recent capture, social restructuring, training, transportation, restraint, or other activities. Viruses associated with naturally occurring diseases or shed by animals with subclinical infections were isolated from both captive and wild marine mammals. The impact of the diseases caused by such agents was assessed using clinical observation, retrospective serology, experimental infection of non marine mammal modeling species such as swine, and necropsy reports. Epidemiologic studies were carried out to determine some of the oceanographic distributions of marine viruses and to determine their possible effects upon marine mammal populations under conditions of natural exposure and their possible human health effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA327454
Entities
Organizations
- Oregon State University