title: Serologic response of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) to vaccination with a recombinant canine distemper vaccine.
abstract: Morbilliviruses pose a significant threat to marine mammal populations around the world and have been associated with multiple epizootics in pinnipeds and cetaceans. As part of a preventive veterinary medical program, five harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in a managed collection were vaccinated with a recombinant canarypox-vectored canine distemper virus vaccine. The vaccine was evaluated for safety (by monitoring seals for local and systemic adverse effects and by testing for shedding of the canarypox vector) and efficacy (by testing for serum neutralizing antibodies). None of the seals showed signs of local or systemic adverse reactions to the vaccination. Three seals vaccinated once did not seroconvert, but the recombinant vaccine induced a persistent serum virus neutralizing titer (12 mo) in the two seals that were vaccinated twice, 1 mo apart.
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Health Center, University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Quinley
authors.forename: Jonna A K
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mazet
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Todd L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dold
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McBain
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fritsch
authors.forename: Pamela K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Yochem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D028121:Canarypox virus / Q000276:immunology; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000276:immunology; D018104:Distemper Virus, Phocine / Q000276:immunology*; D018103:Morbillivirus; D018185:Morbillivirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D046049:Phoca; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014765:Viral Vaccines
keywords: Canarypox vectored; canine distemper virus; harbor seals; morbillivirus; vaccine