Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals?

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Standard

Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals? / Mollerup, Ida-Marie; Bjørneset, Juni; Krock, Bernd; Jensen, Trine Hammer; Galatius, Anders; Dietz, Rune; Teilmann, Jonas; van den Brand, Judith M. A.; Osterhaus, Albert; Kokotovic, Branko; Lundholm, Nina; Olsen, Morten Tange.

In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 914, 169817, 2024.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Mollerup, I-M, Bjørneset, J, Krock, B, Jensen, TH, Galatius, A, Dietz, R, Teilmann, J, van den Brand, JMA, Osterhaus, A, Kokotovic, B, Lundholm, N & Olsen, MT 2024, 'Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals?', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 914, 169817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169817

APA

Mollerup, I-M., Bjørneset, J., Krock, B., Jensen, T. H., Galatius, A., Dietz, R., Teilmann, J., van den Brand, J. M. A., Osterhaus, A., Kokotovic, B., Lundholm, N., & Olsen, M. T. (2024). Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals? Science of the Total Environment, 914, [169817]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169817

Vancouver

Mollerup I-M, Bjørneset J, Krock B, Jensen TH, Galatius A, Dietz R et al. Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals? Science of the Total Environment. 2024;914. 169817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169817

Author

Mollerup, Ida-Marie ; Bjørneset, Juni ; Krock, Bernd ; Jensen, Trine Hammer ; Galatius, Anders ; Dietz, Rune ; Teilmann, Jonas ; van den Brand, Judith M. A. ; Osterhaus, Albert ; Kokotovic, Branko ; Lundholm, Nina ; Olsen, Morten Tange. / Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals?. In: Science of the Total Environment. 2024 ; Vol. 914.

Bibtex

@article{d954688f34c14e50ba504c6f2281bfea,
title = "Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals?",
abstract = "An unusual mass mortality event (MME) of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) occurred in Denmark and Sweden in June 2007. Prior to this incident, the region had experienced two MMEs in harbour seals caused by Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) in 1988 and 2002. Although epidemiology and symptoms of the 2007 MME resembled PDV, none of the animals examined for PDV tested positive. Thus, it has been speculated that another – yet unknown – pathogen caused the June 2007 MME. To shed new light on the likely cause of death, we combine previously unpublished veterinary examinations of harbour seals with novel analyses of algal toxins and algal monitoring data. All harbour seals subject to pathological examination showed pneumonia, but were negative for PDV, influenza and coronavirus. Histological analyses revealed septicaemia in multiple animals, and six animals tested positive for Klebsiella pneumonia. Furthermore, we detected the algal Dinophysis toxin DTX-1b (1–115 ng g−1) in five seals subject to toxicology, representing the first time DTX-1b has been detected in marine vertebrates. However, no animals tested positive for both Klebsiella and toxins. Thus, while our relatively small sample size prevent firm conclusions on causative agents, we speculate that the unexplained MME may have been caused by a chance incidence of multiple pathogens acting in parallel in June 2007, including Dinophysis toxin and Klebsiella. Our study illustrates the complexity of wildlife MMEs and highlights the need for thorough sampling during and after MMEs, as well as additional research on and monitoring of DTX-1b and other algal toxins in the region.",
keywords = "Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), Harbour seals, Harmful algal blooms (HABs), Klebsiella pneumonia, Pathogen, Phycotoxins",
author = "Ida-Marie Mollerup and Juni Bj{\o}rneset and Bernd Krock and Jensen, {Trine Hammer} and Anders Galatius and Rune Dietz and Jonas Teilmann and {van den Brand}, {Judith M. A.} and Albert Osterhaus and Branko Kokotovic and Nina Lundholm and Olsen, {Morten Tange}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 Elsevier B.V.",
year = "2024",
doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169817",
language = "English",
volume = "914",
journal = "Science of the Total Environment",
issn = "0048-9697",
publisher = "Elsevier",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Did algal toxin and Klebsiella infections cause the unexplained 2007 mass mortality event in Danish and Swedish marine mammals?

AU - Mollerup, Ida-Marie

AU - Bjørneset, Juni

AU - Krock, Bernd

AU - Jensen, Trine Hammer

AU - Galatius, Anders

AU - Dietz, Rune

AU - Teilmann, Jonas

AU - van den Brand, Judith M. A.

AU - Osterhaus, Albert

AU - Kokotovic, Branko

AU - Lundholm, Nina

AU - Olsen, Morten Tange

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - An unusual mass mortality event (MME) of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) occurred in Denmark and Sweden in June 2007. Prior to this incident, the region had experienced two MMEs in harbour seals caused by Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) in 1988 and 2002. Although epidemiology and symptoms of the 2007 MME resembled PDV, none of the animals examined for PDV tested positive. Thus, it has been speculated that another – yet unknown – pathogen caused the June 2007 MME. To shed new light on the likely cause of death, we combine previously unpublished veterinary examinations of harbour seals with novel analyses of algal toxins and algal monitoring data. All harbour seals subject to pathological examination showed pneumonia, but were negative for PDV, influenza and coronavirus. Histological analyses revealed septicaemia in multiple animals, and six animals tested positive for Klebsiella pneumonia. Furthermore, we detected the algal Dinophysis toxin DTX-1b (1–115 ng g−1) in five seals subject to toxicology, representing the first time DTX-1b has been detected in marine vertebrates. However, no animals tested positive for both Klebsiella and toxins. Thus, while our relatively small sample size prevent firm conclusions on causative agents, we speculate that the unexplained MME may have been caused by a chance incidence of multiple pathogens acting in parallel in June 2007, including Dinophysis toxin and Klebsiella. Our study illustrates the complexity of wildlife MMEs and highlights the need for thorough sampling during and after MMEs, as well as additional research on and monitoring of DTX-1b and other algal toxins in the region.

AB - An unusual mass mortality event (MME) of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) occurred in Denmark and Sweden in June 2007. Prior to this incident, the region had experienced two MMEs in harbour seals caused by Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) in 1988 and 2002. Although epidemiology and symptoms of the 2007 MME resembled PDV, none of the animals examined for PDV tested positive. Thus, it has been speculated that another – yet unknown – pathogen caused the June 2007 MME. To shed new light on the likely cause of death, we combine previously unpublished veterinary examinations of harbour seals with novel analyses of algal toxins and algal monitoring data. All harbour seals subject to pathological examination showed pneumonia, but were negative for PDV, influenza and coronavirus. Histological analyses revealed septicaemia in multiple animals, and six animals tested positive for Klebsiella pneumonia. Furthermore, we detected the algal Dinophysis toxin DTX-1b (1–115 ng g−1) in five seals subject to toxicology, representing the first time DTX-1b has been detected in marine vertebrates. However, no animals tested positive for both Klebsiella and toxins. Thus, while our relatively small sample size prevent firm conclusions on causative agents, we speculate that the unexplained MME may have been caused by a chance incidence of multiple pathogens acting in parallel in June 2007, including Dinophysis toxin and Klebsiella. Our study illustrates the complexity of wildlife MMEs and highlights the need for thorough sampling during and after MMEs, as well as additional research on and monitoring of DTX-1b and other algal toxins in the region.

KW - Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP)

KW - Harbour seals

KW - Harmful algal blooms (HABs)

KW - Klebsiella pneumonia

KW - Pathogen

KW - Phycotoxins

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169817

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169817

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38184244

AN - SCOPUS:85182256166

VL - 914

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

SN - 0048-9697

M1 - 169817

ER -

ID: 383704512