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Cited by 113Fecal contamination and water qualitySalmonella and Campylobacter epidemiologyVibrio bacteria research studies

Enteric bacterial pathogen detection in southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) is associated with coastal urbanization and freshwater runoff

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Miller, Melissa A., Byrne, Barbara A., Jang, Spencer S., Dodd, Erin M., Dorfmeier, Elene, Harris, Michael D., Ames, Jack, Paradies, David +3 more·2010·Veterinary Research
DOI 10.1051/vetres/2009049PMC PMC2769548
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Abstract

Although protected for nearly a century, California's sea otters have been slow to recover, in part due to exposure to fecally-associated protozoal pathogens like Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona. However, potential impacts from exposure to fecal bacteria have not been systematically explored. Using selective media, we examined feces from live and dead sea otters from California for specific enteric bacterial pathogens (Campylobacter, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, C. difficile and Escherichia coli O157:H7), and pathogens endemic to the marine environment (Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus and Plesiomonas shigelloides). We evaluated statistical associations between detection of these pathogens in otter feces and demographic or environmental risk factors for otter exposure, and found that dead otters were more likely to test positive for C. perfringens, Campylobacter and V. parahaemolyticus than were live otters. Otters from more urbanized coastlines and areas with high freshwater runoff (near outflows of rivers or streams) were more likely to test positive for one or more of these bacterial pathogens. Other risk factors for bacterial detection in otters included male gender and fecal samples collected during the rainy season when surface runoff is maximal. Similar risk factors were reported in prior studies of pathogen exposure for California otters and their invertebrate prey, suggesting that land-sea transfer and/or facilitation of pathogen survival in degraded coastal marine habitat may be impacting sea otter recovery. Because otters and humans share many of the same foods, our findings may also have implications for human health.

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  • Clostridia (e.g., Clostridium perfringens, Clostridioides difficile) are naturally present in the normal gut microbiome and fecal samples of asymptomatic marine mammals, fish, mollusks, and crustaceans, with ubiquitous distribution in freshwater and marine environments in water, sediment, sewage, and biota and on biological substrates.

    “Clostridia (e.g., Clostridium perfringens, Clostridioides difficile) are naturally present in the normal gut microbiome and fecal samples of asymptomatic marine mammals, fish, mollusks, and crustaceans (McBee, 1960;Aschfalk and Müller, 2001;Miller et al., 2010;Morris et al., 2011), with ubiquitous distribution in freshwater and marine environments in water, sediment, sewage, and biota and on”

    From Novel Lethal Clostridial Infection in Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris): Cause of the 2013 Unusual Mortality Event in the Indian River Lagoon (2022) · cites this paper as Miller et al., 2010

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Research works printed but not linked: 40

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Authors
Miller, M. A., Byrne, B. A., Jang, S. S., Dodd, E. M., Dorfmeier, E., Harris, M. D., Ames, J., Paradies, D., Worcester, K., Jessup, D. A., & Miller, W. A.
Affiliations
  • California Department of Fish and Wildlife (US)
  • Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (US)
  • University of California, Davis (US)
Corresponding author
Miller, Melissa A.
ORCID
Venue
Veterinary Research
Publisher
EDP Sciences
Published
2009-09-02
Volume
41
Issue
1
Pages
01
ISSN
  • 0928-4249 (ISSN-L)
  • 1297-9716
DOI
10.1051/vetres/2009049
PMC
PMC2769548
OpenAlex
W2120072624
Cited by
113
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 9
FWCI
6.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Veterinary Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • California Department of Fish and Game
  • Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • U.S. Geological Survey
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Fecal contamination and water quality
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Vibrio bacteria research studies
Keywords
southern sea otter, Enhydra lutris nereis, enteric bacterial pathogens, fecal bacteria, coastal urbanization, freshwater runoff, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium difficile, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae, Plesiomonas shigelloides, human health implications, California coast
MeSH terms
Animals, Bacterial Infections, California, Feces, Female, Male, Otters, Pacific Ocean, Risk Factors, Urbanization, Water Microbiology, Water Pollution, Ecosystem

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