{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T20:29:05Z","timestamp":1781900945719,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,29]],"date-time":"2022-07-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1659052800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Project","award":["ID#2011-0032-003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ID#2011-0032-003"]}]},{"name":"Mystic Aquarium","award":["ID#2011-0032-003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ID#2011-0032-003"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Among emerging threats to the Arctic is the introduction, spread, or resurgence of disease. Marine brucellosis is an emerging disease concern among free-ranging cetaceans and is less well-studied than terrestrial forms. To investigate marine-origin Brucella sp. exposure in two beluga stocks in Alaska, USA, this study used serological status as well as real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) and bacterial culture. In total, 55 live-captured\u2013released belugas were tested for Brucella exposure in Bristol Bay (2008\u20132016) and 112 (8 live-captured; 104 subsistence-harvested) whales were tested in the eastern Chukchi Sea (2007\u20132017). In total, 73% percent of Bristol Bay live captures, 50% of Chukchi Sea live captures, and 66% of Chukchi Sea harvested belugas were positive on serology. Only 10 of 69 seropositive belugas were rtPCR positive in at least one tissue. Only one seropositive animal was PCR positive in both the spleen and mesenteric lymph node. All animals tested were culture negative. The high prevalence of seropositivity detected suggests widespread exposure in both stocks, however, the low level of rtPCR and culture positive results suggests clinical brucellosis was not prevalent in the belugas surveyed. Continued detection of Brucella exposure supports the need for long-term monitoring of these and other beluga populations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani12151932","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,31]],"date-time":"2022-07-31T21:49:02Z","timestamp":1659304142000},"page":"1932","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Serological Detection of Marine Origin Brucella Exposure in Two Alaska Beluga Stocks"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Laura A.","family":"Thompson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Mystic Aquarium, Division of Sea Research Inc., Mystic, CT 06355, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1282-5654","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Caroline E. C.","family":"Goertz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, AK 99664, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lori T.","family":"Quakenbush","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kathy","family":"Burek Huntington","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Alaska Veterinary Pathology Service, Eagle River, AK 99577, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Robert S.","family":"Suydam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, Utqiagvik, AK 99723, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raphaela","family":"Stimmelmayr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, Utqiagvik, AK 99723, USA"},{"name":"Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Utqiagvik, AK 99775, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tracy A.","family":"Romano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mystic Aquarium, Division of Sea Research Inc., Mystic, CT 06355, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Global review of the conservation status of monodontid stocks","volume":"81","author":"Hobbs","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mar. Fish. Rev."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1016\/j.marpol.2018.08.035","article-title":"Tourist vessel traffic in important whale areas in the western Canadian Arctic: Risks and possible management solutions","volume":"97","author":"Halliday","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mar. Policy"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.33265\/polar.v40.5523","article-title":"The challenges of a small population exposed to multiple anthropogenic stressors and a changing climate: The St. Lawrence Estuary beluga","volume":"40","author":"Lesage","year":"2021","journal-title":"Polar Res."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100054","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecochg.2022.100054","article-title":"A Review of Climate Change Effects on Marine Mammals in United States Waters: Past Predictions, Observed Impacts, Current Research and Conservation Imperatives","volume":"3","author":"Gulland","year":"2022","journal-title":"Clim. Change Ecol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.3354\/dao03644","article-title":"Brucella ceti sequence type 23, 26, and 27 infections in North American cetaceans","volume":"148","author":"Curtiss","year":"2022","journal-title":"Dis. Aquat. Org."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"448","DOI":"10.1177\/104063879400600408","article-title":"Characteristics of a Brucella species from a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)","volume":"6","author":"Ewalt","year":"1994","journal-title":"J. Vet. Diagn. Investig."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1136\/vr.134.14.359-b","article-title":"Brucella species infection in sea-mammals","volume":"134","author":"Ross","year":"1994","journal-title":"Vet. Rec."},{"key":"ref_8","first-page":"902","article-title":"Marine mammal brucellosis: A new dimension to an old zoonosis","volume":"103","author":"Thakur","year":"2012","journal-title":"Curr. Sci."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1512","DOI":"10.1099\/jmm.0.47330-0","article-title":"Molecular typing divides marine mammal strains of Brucella into at least three groups with distinct host preferences","volume":"56","author":"Groussaud","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Med. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2688","DOI":"10.1099\/ijs.0.65269-0","article-title":"Brucella ceti sp. nov. and Brucella pinnipedialis sp. nov. for Brucella strains with cetaceans and seals as their preferred hosts","volume":"57","author":"Foster","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Whatmore, A.M., Dawson, C., Muchowski, J., Perrett, L.L., Stubberfield, E., Koylass, M., Foster, G., Davison, N.J., Quance, C., and Sidor, I. (2017). Characterisation of North American Brucella isolates from marine mammals. PLoS ONE, 12.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0184758"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Espinoza, G., Arce-Gorvel, V., M\u00e9met, S., and Gorvel, J.-P. (2021). Brucella: Reservoirs and Niches in Animals and Humans. Pathogens, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens10020186"},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"St Leger, J., Schmitt, T., Reidarson, T., Scadeng, M., Dubowitz, D., and Danil, K. (2007, January 5\u20139). Hydrocephalus and Non-Suppurative Meningoencephalitis Associated with Brucella sp. Infection in Two Live-Stranded Dolphins. Proceedings of the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Langan, J.N., Ivancic, M., Adkesson, M.J., Chinnadurai, S.K., Houser, D., Stacey, R., Whitehead, H., Chu, C., Morell, M., and Colegroce, K.M. (2016, January 21\u201326). Antemortem Diagnosis of Hydrocephalus and Hearing Loss Associated with Chronic Brucella Infection in a Stranded Rehabilitated Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Proceedings of the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine, Virginia Beach, VA, USA."},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"3","article-title":"Brucella ceti and brucellosis in cetaceans","volume":"2","author":"Morales","year":"2012","journal-title":"Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_16","first-page":"1674","article-title":"Molecular, serological, pathological, immunohistochemical and microbiological investigation of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil reveals new cetacean hosts","volume":"66","author":"Carvalho","year":"2019","journal-title":"Transbound. Emerg. Dis."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"100","article-title":"Brucella-induced abortions and infection in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)","volume":"30","author":"Miller","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Zoo Wildl. Med."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1111\/avj.12903","article-title":"Brucellosis associated with stillbirth in a bottlenose dolphin in Australia","volume":"98","author":"Mackie","year":"2020","journal-title":"Aust. Vet. J."},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"1","article-title":"Brucella sp. sequence-type 27 associated with abortion in dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima","volume":"67","author":"Gendre","year":"2021","journal-title":"Eur. J. Wildl. Res."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"507","DOI":"10.1177\/1040638714532647","article-title":"Brucella placentitis and seroprevalence in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska","volume":"26","author":"Duncan","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Vet. Diagn. Investig."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"517","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1403.070829","article-title":"Marine mammal Brucella genotype associated with zoonotic infection","volume":"14","author":"Whatmore","year":"2008","journal-title":"Emerg. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"838","DOI":"10.1177\/0300985817707023","article-title":"Brucellosis in Endangered Hector\u2019s Dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori)","volume":"54","author":"Buckle","year":"2017","journal-title":"Vet. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.3354\/dao03590","article-title":"Meningoencephalitis in a common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata associated with Brucella pinnipedialis and gamma-herpesvirus infection","volume":"144","author":"Davison","year":"2021","journal-title":"Dis. Aquat. Org."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.3354\/dao03421","article-title":"Pathological findings and survey for pathogens associated with reproductive failure in perinatal Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus","volume":"137","author":"Esquible","year":"2019","journal-title":"Dis. Aquat. Org."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"296","DOI":"10.3325\/cmj.2010.51.296","article-title":"Diagnosis of Brucellosis in Livestock and Wildlife","volume":"51","author":"Godfroid","year":"2010","journal-title":"Croat. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"485","DOI":"10.1134\/S1063074017060037","article-title":"Serological detection of causative agents of infectious and invasive diseases in the beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776) (Cetacea: Monodontidae) from Sakhalinsky Bay","volume":"43","author":"Alekseev","year":"2017","journal-title":"Russ. J. Mar. Biol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"494","DOI":"10.1134\/S1063074009060078","article-title":"Detection of specific antibodies to morbilliviruses, Brucella and Toxoplasma in the black sea dolphins Tursiops truncatus ponticus and the beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas from the Sea of Okhotsk in 2002\u20132007","volume":"35","author":"Alekseev","year":"2009","journal-title":"Russ. J. Mar. Biol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-37.1.89","article-title":"Serologic survey of Brucella spp. antibodies in some marine mammals of North America","volume":"37","author":"Nielsen","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"856","DOI":"10.1177\/104063871002200603","article-title":"Development, validation, and utilization of a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies against Brucella species in marine mammals","volume":"22","author":"Meegan","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Vet. Diagn. Invest."},{"key":"ref_30","unstructured":"Suydam, R.S. (2009). Age, Growth, Reproduction, and Movements of Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the Eastern Chukchi Sea. [Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Washington]."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-48.1.21","article-title":"Seasonal hematology and serum chemistry of wild beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA","volume":"48","author":"Norman","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"coz071","DOI":"10.1093\/conphys\/coz071","article-title":"Comparing progesterone in blubber and serum to assess pregnancy in wild beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas)","volume":"7","author":"Goertz","year":"2019","journal-title":"Conserv. Physiol."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.3354\/dao02528","article-title":"Serologic response in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus infected with Brucella sp. using a dolphin-specific indirect ELISA","volume":"102","author":"Meegan","year":"2012","journal-title":"Dis. Aquat. Org."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1177\/1040638712470945","article-title":"A multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay with two internal controls for the detection of Brucella species in tissues, blood, and feces from marine mammals","volume":"25","author":"Sidor","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Vet. Diagn. Invest."},{"key":"ref_35","unstructured":"Tang, Y.W., Sussman, M., Poxton, I., and Schwartzman, J. (2015). Chapter 101-Brucella. Molecular Medical Microbiology, Academic Press. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2180-7-34","article-title":"Characterisation of the genetic diversity of Brucella by multilocus sequencing","volume":"7","author":"Whatmore","year":"2007","journal-title":"BMC Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"Sudlovenick, E. (2019). A Serological Survey and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit of Ringed Seals (Nattiit) in Frobisher Bay, Nunavut. [Master\u2019s Thesis, University of Prince Edward Island]. Incomplete Citation."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.3354\/dao02659","article-title":"Age-dependent prevalence of anti-Brucella antibodies in hooded seals Cystophora cristata","volume":"106","author":"Nymo","year":"2013","journal-title":"Dis. Aquat. Org."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.7589\/2014-04-092","article-title":"Coinfection and vertical transmission of Brucella and Morbillivirus in a neonatal sperm whale (Physeter macricephalus) in Hawaii, USA","volume":"51","author":"West","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1238","DOI":"10.1093\/jmammal\/gyw074","article-title":"Seasonal and developmental differences in blubber stores of beluga whales in Bristol Bay, Alaska using high-resolution ultrasound","volume":"97","author":"Cornick","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Mammal."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.3354\/dao03526","article-title":"Occurrence of Brucella ceti in stranded bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus coincides with calving season","volume":"141","author":"Wu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Dis. Aquat. Org."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s40794-021-00130-w","article-title":"Lack of correlation of Brucella antibody titers with clinical outcomes and culture positivity of brucellosis","volume":"7","author":"Alsubaie","year":"2021","journal-title":"Trop. Dis. Travel Med. Vaccines"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.20506\/rst.21.2.1333","article-title":"Brucellosis in wildlife","volume":"21","author":"Godfroid","year":"2002","journal-title":"Rev. Sci. Tech.-Off. Int. Epizoot."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Carlsson, A.M., Curry, P., Elkin, B., Russell, D., Veitch, A., Branigan, M., Campbell, M., Croft, B., Cuyler, C., and C\u00f4t\u00e9, S.D. (2019). Multi-pathogen serological survey of migratory caribou herds: A snapshot in time. PLoS ONE, 14.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0219838"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1258","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.38.3.1258-1262.2000","article-title":"Molecular characterization of Brucella strains isolated from marine mammals","volume":"38","author":"Bricker","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1016\/S0378-1135(02)00210-9","article-title":"Brucella evolution and taxonomy","volume":"90","author":"Moreno","year":"2002","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_47","first-page":"54","article-title":"Distribution, abundance, harvest, and status of Western Alaska beluga whale, Delphinapterus leucas, stocks","volume":"81","author":"Lowry","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mar. Fish. Rev."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2018.00008","article-title":"Brucella antibodies in Alaskan true seals and eared seals\u2014Two different stories","volume":"5","author":"Nymo","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. Vet. Sci."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Burek Huntington, K.A., Nielsen, O., Romero, C., Goldstein, T., Goertz, C.E.C., and Hobbs, R. (2014, January 17\u201322). A Novel Herpesvirus in Bristol Bay Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Proceedings of the 45th Annual Conference of the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine (IAAAM), Gold Coast, Australia.","DOI":"10.3354\/dao02839"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"627","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2021.627654","article-title":"Implications of zoonoses from hunting and use of wildlife in North American arctic and boreal biomes: Pandemic potential, monitoring, and mitigation","volume":"9","author":"Keatts","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"}],"container-title":["Animals"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/12\/15\/1932\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T23:58:49Z","timestamp":1760140729000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/12\/15\/1932"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,29]]},"references-count":50,"journal-issue":{"issue":"15","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8]]}},"alternative-id":["ani12151932"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ani12151932","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2615"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2615","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,29]]}}}