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. 2010 Sep 20;172(3-4):256-63.
doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.05.018. Epub 2010 May 27.

Serosurvey for Trichinella in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea

Kjetil Asbakk  1 , Jon Aars, Andrew E Derocher, Oystein Wiig, Antti Oksanen, Erik W Born, Rune Dietz, Christian Sonne, Jacques Godfroid, Christian M O Kapel
Affiliations

Serosurvey for Trichinella in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea

Kjetil Asbakk et al. Vet Parasitol. .

Abstract

Blood samples of live-caught polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard collected 1991-2000 (Period 1) and 2006-2008 (Period 2) and from the pack ice of the Barents Sea collected in Period 1, were assayed for antibodies against Trichinella spp. by ELISA. Of 54 cubs-of-the-year included in the Period 1 sample, 53 were seronegative, indicating that exposure to Trichinella infected meat is uncommon during the first months of life for polar bears in the Svalbard region. Of 30 mother-offspring pairs, 18 mothers were seropositive with seronegative offspring (n=27), suggesting (1) that maternal antibodies had dropped to levels below detection limit by the time of capture in April (offspring approximately 4 months old), and (2) supporting experimental studies in other animal models showing that vertical transmission of Trichinella spp. is uncommon. Bear 1 year and older had higher prevalence in Svalbard (78%) than in the Barents Sea (51%). There was no temporal change in prevalence for bears from Svalbard during the time between the two periods. The prevalence increased with age in both sexes. A positive correlation was found between anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Trichinella spp. antibodies.

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