title: Prevalence of influenza A virus in live-captured North Atlantic gray seals: a possible wild reservoir.
abstract: Influenza A virus (IAV) has been associated with multiple unusual mortality events (UMEs) in North Atlantic pinnipeds, frequently attributed to spillover of virus from wild-bird reservoirs. To determine if endemic infection persists outside of UMEs, we undertook a multiyear investigation of IAV in healthy, live-captured Northwest Atlantic gray seals (Halichoerus grypus). From 2013 to 2015, we sampled 345 pups and 57 adults from Cape Cod, MA, USA and Nova Scotia, Canada consistently detecting IAV infection across all groups. There was an overall viral prevalence of 9.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.4%-12.5%) in weaned pups and 5.3% (CI: 1.2%-14.6%) in adults, with seroprevalences of 19.3% (CI: 15.0%-24.5%) and 50% (CI: 33.7%-66.4%), respectively. Positive sera showed a broad reactivity to diverse influenza subtypes. IAV status did not correlate with measures of animal health nor impact animal movement or foraging. This study demonstrated that Northwest Atlantic gray seals are both permissive to and tolerant of diverse IAV, possibly representing an endemically infected wild reservoir population.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Wendy Blay
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Puryear
authors.affiliation: Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keogh
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Nichola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moxley
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly Ryan
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Chistopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bandoro
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 1C2.
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lidgard
authors.affiliation: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bogomolni
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06268, USA.
authors.forename: Milton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada B2Y 4A2.
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada B2Y 4A2.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammill
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada B2Y 4A2.
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waring
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Runstadler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D009674:Nova Scotia / Q000453:epidemiology; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D046048:Seals, Earless / Q000821:virology*; D013686:Telemetry; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral