Antibodies against Pasteurella multocida in snow geese in the western arctic

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
By: , and 

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Abstract

To determine if lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) are a potential reservoir for the Pasteurella multocida bacterium that causes avian cholera, serum samples and/or pharyngeal swabs were collected from > 3,400 adult geese breeding on Wrangel Island (Russia) and Banks Island (Canada) during 1993-1996. Pharyngeal swab sampling rarely (> 0.1%) detected birds that were exposed to P. multocida in these populations. Geese with serum antibody levels indicating recent infection with P. multocida were found at both breeding colonies. Prevalence of seropositive birds was 3.5% at Wrangel Island, an area that has no recorded history of avian cholera epizootics. Prevalence of seropositive birds was 2.8% at Banks Island in 1994, but increased to 8.2% during 1995 and 1996 when an estimated 40,000-60,000 snow geese were infected. Approximately 50% of the infected birds died during the epizootic and a portion of the surviving birds may have become carriers of the disease. This pattern of prevalence indicated that enzootic levels of infection with P. multocida occurred at both breeding colonies. When no avian cholera epizootics occurred (Wrangel Island, Banks Island in 1994), female snow geese (4.7%) had higher antibody prevalence than males (2.0%).

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Antibodies against Pasteurella multocida in snow geese in the western arctic
Series title Journal of Wildlife Diseases
DOI 10.7589/0090-3558-35.3.440
Volume 35
Issue 3
Year Published 1999
Language English
Publisher Wildlife Disease Association
Contributing office(s) National Wildlife Health Center
Description 10 p.
First page 440
Last page 449
Country Canada, Russia
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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