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Volume 17, Number 12—December 2011
Research

Sealpox Virus in Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Facilities, North America, 2007–2009

Amira Roess1, Rebecca Levine, Laura Barth, Benjamin Monroe, Darin Carroll, Inger Damon, and Mary ReynoldsComments to Author 
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Main Article

Table 1

Characteristics and infection status for 1,423 pinnipeds at 11 marine mammal centers in the 12 months before survey of marine mammal centers, North America, 2007–2009

Species, age group, and residential status No. animals
Sex Facility location * With sealpox†, n = 23 Total, N = 1,423
M, n = 780‡ F, n = 643§ Pacific coast, n = 1,198¶ Atlantic coast, n = 227#
Animal (species)
California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) 365 301 662 4 8 666
Stellar sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) 15 19 25 9 0 34
Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) 26 15 38 3 0 41
Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) 101 72 173 0 1 173
Ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) 1 0 1 0 0 1
Hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) 3 1 0 4 0 4
Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) 45 18 0 63 3 63
Harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) 17 18 0 35 0 35
Harbor seal (P. vitulina) 198 191 290 99 11 389
Ringed seal (P. hispida) 1 1 2 2 0 2
Spotted seal (P. largha) 2 0 2 0 0 2
Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) 2 2 4 0 0 4
Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) 4 4 0 8 0 8
South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) 0 1 1 0 0 1
Age group
Pup, <1 y of age 725 455 969 211 20 1,180
Adult 55 189 229 14 3 243
Residential status**
Rescue/rehabilitation 661 626 1,071 216 23 1,287
Resident/other 119 17 127 9 0 136

*A total of 6 and 5 facilities each were located on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, respectively.
†≈30 animals were reported to have sealpox, but information regarding species type, age group, and sex was available for only 23. Thus, only these 23 were included in the analysis. Of the 23 ill animals, 5 had laboratory-confirmed sealpox virus infection.
‡Fifteen of 780 animals were ill.
§Eight of 643 animals were ill.
¶Fourteen of 1,198 animals were ill.
#Nine of 225 animals were ill.
**Rescue/rehabilitation refers to pinnipeds that were brought in from the wild for rehabilitation; Resident/other refers to animals brought in for purposes other than rehabilitation.

Main Article

1Current affiliation: George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.

Page created: November 30, 2011
Page updated: April 03, 2012
Page reviewed: April 03, 2012
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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