title: Prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and East Greenland.
abstract: Serum samples from 419 polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea (collected 1990-2000) and 108 polar bears from East Greenland (collected 1999-2004) were assayed for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii using the modified agglutination test. Antibody prevalences were 3.6% among cubs dependent on their mothers and 21.4% among subadults and adults. Among subadults and adults there was an interaction between population and sex, with similar prevalences among females (Svalbard = 19.5%, Greenland = 18.0%), but a high frequency among Svalbard males (28.7%) as compared to Greenland males (5.8%). The pattern was also significant after correcting for differences in age distribution. The sex-population interaction term is believed to be connected to area- and sex-specific feeding ecology. The prevalences of antibodies against T. gondii in Svalbard and Greenland were high compared to previously reported findings in polar bears from Russian and Alaskan areas.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Stakkevollveien 23, N-9010 Tromsø, Norway. antti.oksanen@evira.fi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oksanen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asbakk
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Prestrud
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aars
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Derocher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tryland
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wiig
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sonne
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Born
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006116:Greenland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013538:Svalbard / Q000453:epidemiology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D001503:Ursidae / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan