Robert Deaville

Zoological Society of London

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Paul D. Jepson

Zoological Society of London

Matthew W. Perkins

Zoological Society of London

Nicholas J. Davison

University of Glasgow

Andrew Brownlow

University of Glasgow

Sinéad Murphy

Atlantic University

James Barnett

Royal Cornwall Hospital

Rod Penrose

National Museums Scotland

Jonathan L. Barber

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science

Robin J. Law

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science

Jeremy A. Garson

University College London

Cooperative Institutions

Zoological Society of London

University of Cambridge

University College London

Wellcome Sanger Institute

Animal and Plant Health Agency

University of Aberdeen

Google (United States)

Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Queen Mary University of London

University of Siena

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Reproductive Failure in UK Harbour Porpoises Phocoena phocoena: Legacy of Pollutant Exposure?

PLoS ONE (2015)

Sinéad Murphy Jonathan L. Barber J.A. Learmonth F.L. Read Robert Deaville

Reproductive failure in mammals due to exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can occur either through endocrine disrupting effects or via immunosuppression and increased disease risk. To investigate further, full necropsies and determination of summed 25 polychlorinated biphenyls congeners (∑PCBs lipid weight) in blubber were undertaken on 329 UK-stranded female harbour porpoises (1990-2012). In sexually mature females, 25/127 (19.7%) showed direct evidence of reproductive failure (foetal death, aborting, dystocia or stillbirth). A further 21/127 (16.5%) had infections of the reproductive tract or tumours of reproductive tract tissues that could contribute to reproductive failure. Resting mature females (non-lactating or non-pregnant) had significantly higher mean ∑PCBs (18.5 mg/kg) than both lactating (7.5 mg/kg) and pregnant females (6 mg/kg), though not significantly different to sexually immature females (14.0 mg/kg). Using multinomial logistic regression models ΣPCBs was found to be a significant predictor of mature female reproductive status, adjusting for the effects of confounding variables. Resting females were more likely to have a higher PCB burden. Health status (proxied by "trauma" or "infectious disease" causes of death) was also a significant predictor, with lactating females (i.e. who successfully reproduced) more likely to be in good health status compared to other individuals. Based on contaminant profiles (>11 mg/kg lipid), at least 29/60 (48%) of resting females had not offloaded their pollutant burden via gestation and primarily lactation. Where data were available, these non-offloading females were previously gravid, which suggests foetal or newborn mortality. Furthermore, a lower pregnancy rate of 50% was estimated for "healthy" females that died of traumatic causes of death, compared to other populations. Whether or not PCBs are part of an underlying mechanism, we used individual PCB burdens to show further evidence of reproductive failure in the North-east Atlantic harbour porpoise population, results that should inform conservation management.

Blubber

10.1371/journal.pone.0131085

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Citations (100)

Mass Die-Off of Caspian Seals Caused by Canine Distemper Virus

Emerging infectious diseases (2000)

S. Kennedy Thijs Kuiken Paul D. Jepson Robert Deaville M. Forsyth

Thousands of Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) died in the Caspian Sea from April to August 2000. Lesions characteristic of morbillivirus infection were found in tissue specimens from dead seals. Canine distemper virus infection was identified by serologic examination, reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction, and sequencing of selected P gene fragments. These results implicate canine distemper virus infection as the primary cause of death.

Canine distemper

Morbillivirus

Harbor seal

10.3201/eid0606.000613

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Citations (225)

Meningoencephalitis and Arthritis Associated with Brucella ceti in a Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

Journal of Wildlife Diseases (2013)

Nicholas J. Davison James Barnett Lorraine L. Perrett Claire Dawson Matthew W. Perkins

Brucella species infection in marine mammal species has been reported to have a global distribution. In 2007, the description of Brucella ceti was published and formally adopted for those isolates originating from cetaceans and pathologic lesions similar to those seen in terrestrial mammals infected with Brucella spp. have been associated with its isolation. Brucella ceti infection specific to the central nervous system has been described in two species of cetacean: striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in Europe and Costa Rica and an Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) in the UK. We describe the first report, to our knowledge, of B. ceti–associated meningitis and arthritis in a third species, the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), in an animal that stranded in the UK.

Delphinus delphis

Bottlenose dolphin

Minke whale

10.7589/2012-06-165

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Citations (24)

Phylogenomic Resolution of the Cetacean Tree of Life Using Target Sequence Capture

Systematic Biology (2019)

Michael R. McGowen Georgia Tsagkogeorga Sandra Álvarez-Carretero Mario dos Reis Monika Struebig

Abstract The evolution of cetaceans, from their early transition to an aquatic lifestyle to their subsequent diversification, has been the subject of numerous studies. However, although the higher-level relationships among cetacean families have been largely settled, several aspects of the systematics within these groups remain unresolved. Problematic clades include the oceanic dolphins (37 spp.), which have experienced a recent rapid radiation, and the beaked whales (22 spp.), which have not been investigated in detail using nuclear loci. The combined application of high-throughput sequencing with techniques that target specific genomic sequences provide a powerful means of rapidly generating large volumes of orthologous sequence data for use in phylogenomic studies. To elucidate the phylogenetic relationships within the Cetacea, we combined sequence capture with Illumina sequencing to generate data for $\sim $3200 protein-coding genes for 68 cetacean species and their close relatives including the pygmy hippopotamus. By combining data from $>$38,000 exons with existing sequences from 11 cetaceans and seven outgroup taxa, we produced the first comprehensive comparative genomic data set for cetaceans, spanning 6,527,596 aligned base pairs (bp) and 89 taxa. Phylogenetic trees reconstructed with maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference of concatenated loci, as well as with coalescence analyses of individual gene trees, produced mostly concordant and well-supported trees. Our results completely resolve the relationships among beaked whales as well as the contentious relationships among oceanic dolphins, especially the problematic subfamily Delphinidae. We carried out Bayesian estimation of species divergence times using MCMCTree and compared our complete data set to a subset of clocklike genes. Analyses using the complete data set consistently showed less variance in divergence times than the reduced data set. In addition, integration of new fossils (e.g., Mystacodon selenensis) indicates that the diversification of Crown Cetacea began before the Late Eocene and the divergence of Crown Delphinidae as early as the Middle Miocene. [Cetaceans; phylogenomics; Delphinidae; Ziphiidae; dolphins; whales.]

Phylogenomics

Supermatrix

Cetacea

10.1093/sysbio/syz068

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Citations (224)

Systemic Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in seven free-ranging delphinids stranded in England and Wales

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (2021)

ME Ceccolini Mark Wessels S. K. Macgregor Robert Deaville Martine C. Perkins

Microbiology records for 1127 cetaceans stranded on English and Welsh beaches and examined at the Institute of Zoology between 1990 and 2019 were reviewed to identify cases of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae , an uncommon but potentially fatal zoonotic pathogen. Once cases were identified, prevalence was calculated, corresponding postmortem reports were reviewed, common gross and histopathological findings were identified, and antibiotic susceptibilities were determined. Overall prevalence for E. rhusiopathiae was 0.62% (7/1127; 95% CI: 0.30-1.28%). It was isolated from 3 bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus , 3 harbor porpoises Phocoena phocoena , and 1 short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis , with a prevalence of 21.4% (3/14; 95% CI: 7.6-47.9%), 0.39% (3/779; 95% CI: 0.13-1.13%), and 0.47% (1/212; 95% CI: 0.08-2.62%) for each species, respectively. E. rhusiopathiae resulted in septicemia in all cases from which it was isolated. Gross necropsy findings included pulmonary edema (5/7), hemorrhage (5/7) and/or congestion of various organs (4/7), and serosanguineous effusion (3/7; pericardial: 3/7, pleural: 2/6, abdominal: 2/6). Congestion (5/5), bacterial emboli (4/5), and hemorrhage (4/5) were commonly observed on histopathology, and acute renal tubular injury (2/5) and pulmonary edema (2/5) were occasionally observed. Routine bacterial cultures were vital in identifying E. rhusiopathiae , since gross lesions were often subtle and nonspecific. The liver, kidney, and brain were key organs from which E. rhusiopathiae was consistently isolated. Antibiotic resistance was uncommon and was only observed for amikacin and trimethoprim sulfonamide. Penicillins were consistently effective, along with fluoroquinolones, macrolides, clindamycin, cephalexin, and oxytetracycline.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

Delphinus delphis

Phocoena

Bottlenose dolphin

10.3354/dao03609

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Citations (11)

Polychlorinated biphenyls are associated with reduced testes weights in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)

Environment International (2021)

Rosie S. Williams David J. Curnick Andrew Brownlow Jonathan L. Barber James Barnett

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly toxic and persistent aquatic pollutants that are known to bioaccumulate in a variety of marine mammals. They have been associated with reduced recruitment rates and population declines in multiple species. Evidence to date documents effects of PCB exposures on female reproduction, but few studies have investigated whether PCB exposure impacts male fertility. Using blubber tissue samples of 99 adult and 168 juvenile UK-stranded harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) collected between 1991 and 2017, here we show that PCBs exposures are associated with reduced testes weights in adults with good body condition. In animals with poor body condition, however, the impact of PCBs on testes weights was reduced, conceivably due to testes weights being limited by nutritional stress. This is the first study to investigate the relationship between PCB contaminant burden and testes weights in cetaceans and represents a substantial advance in our understanding of the relationship between PCB exposures and male reproductive biology in cetaceans. As testes weight is a strong indicator of male fertility in seasonally breeding mammals, we suggest the inclusion of such effects in population level impact assessments involving PCB exposures. Given the re-emergent PCB threat our findings are globally significant, with potentially serious implications for long-lived mammals. We show that more effective PCB controls could have a substantial impact on the reproductive health of coastal cetacean species and that management actions may need to be escalated to ensure adequate protection of the most vulnerable cetacean populations.

Phocoena

Blubber

10.1016/j.envint.2020.106303

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Citations (22)

The relationship between polychlorinated biphenyls in blubber and levels of nematode infestations in harbour porpoises,Phocoena phocoena

Parasitology (2006)

James C. Bull Paul D. Jepson Richard Ssuna Robert Deaville Colin R. Allchin

Post-mortem examinations of harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, regularly reveal heavy parasitic worm burdens. These same post-mortem records show varying levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulating in the blubber of porpoises. Although a number of papers have documented geospatial and temporal changes of PCBs and their detrimental effects on marine mammal health, as yet none have examined their role in determining nematode burdens in wild marine mammal populations. Using a data set consisting of harbour porpoises stranded in the UK between 1989 and 2002, we found a significant, positive association between PCB levels and nematode burdens, although the nature of the relationship was confounded with porpoise sex, age and cause of death. It was also apparent that individuals with the heaviest infestations of nematodes did not have the highest PCB level: while PCBs are important, they are clearly not the sole determinants of nematode burdens in wild populations of the harbour porpoise around the UK.

Phocoena

Blubber

Marine mammal

10.1017/s003118200500942x

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Citations (27)

Using network theory to identify the causes of disease outbreaks of unknown origin

Journal of The Royal Society Interface (2013)

Tiffany L. Bogich Sebastian Funk Trent R. Malcolm Nok Chhun Jonathan H. Epstein

The identification of undiagnosed disease outbreaks is critical for mobilizing efforts to prevent widespread transmission of novel virulent pathogens. Recent developments in online surveillance systems allow for the rapid communication of the earliest reports of emerging infectious diseases and tracking of their spread. The efficacy of these programs, however, is inhibited by the anecdotal nature of informal reporting and uncertainty of pathogen identity in the early stages of emergence. We developed theory to connect disease outbreaks of known aetiology in a network using an array of properties including symptoms, seasonality and case-fatality ratio. We tested the method with 125 reports of outbreaks of 10 known infectious diseases causing encephalitis in South Asia, and showed that different diseases frequently form distinct clusters within the networks. The approach correctly identified unknown disease outbreaks with an average sensitivity of 76 per cent and specificity of 88 per cent. Outbreaks of some diseases, such as Nipah virus encephalitis, were well identified (sensitivity = 100%, positive predictive values = 80%), whereas others (e.g. Chandipura encephalitis) were more difficult to distinguish. These results suggest that unknown outbreaks in resource-poor settings could be evaluated in real time, potentially leading to more rapid responses and reducing the risk of an outbreak becoming a pandemic.

Case fatality rate

Pandemic

Emerging infectious disease

Etiology

10.1098/rsif.2012.0904

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Citations (17)

The 2000 Canine Distemper Epidemic in Caspian Seals (Phoca caspica): Pathology and Analysis of Contributory Factors

Veterinary Pathology (2006)

Thijs Kuiken S. Kennedy Thomas Barrett Marco W. G. van de Bildt F.H.M. Borgsteede

More than 10,000 Caspian seals ( Phoca caspica) were reported dead in the Caspian Sea during spring and summer 2000. We performed necropsies and extensive laboratory analyses on 18 seals, as well as examination of the pattern of strandings and variation in weather in recent years, to identify the cause of mortality and potential contributory factors. The monthly stranding rate in 2000 was up to 2.8 times the historic mean. It was preceded by an unusually mild winter, as observed before in mass mortality events of pinnipeds. The primary diagnosis in 11 of 13 seals was canine distemper, characterized by broncho-interstitial pneumonia, lymphocytic necrosis and depletion in lymphoid organs, and the presence of typical intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in multiple epithelia. Canine distemper virus infection was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction products. Organochlorine and zinc concentrations in tissues of seals with canine distemper were comparable to those of Caspian seals in previous years. Concurrent bacterial infections that may have contributed to the mortality of the seals included Bordetella bronchiseptica (4/8 seals), Streptococcus phocae (3/8), Salmonella dublin (1/8), and S. choleraesuis (1/8). A newly identified bacterium, Corynebacterium caspium, was associated with balanoposthitis in one seal. Several infectious and parasitic organisms, including poxvirus, Atopobacter phocae, Eimeria- and Sarcocystis-like organisms, and Halarachne sp. were identified in Caspian seals for the first time.

Canine distemper

Epizootic

Bordetella bronchiseptica

10.1354/vp.43-3-321

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Citations (88)

Author response for "Centralized red muscle in <i>Odontaspis ferox</i> and the prevalence of regional endothermy in sharks"

Haley R. Dolton Edward P. Snelling Robert Deaville Andrew L. Jackson Matthew W. Perkins

10.1098/rsbl.2023.0331/v2/response1

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