1. MONITORING THREATENED SOUTHERN SEA OTTERS FOR EXPOSURE TO SELECTED FECAL PATHOGENS Melissa A. Miller, Nancy Christian, Mike Murray, Dave A. Jessup Melissa A. Miller, Nancy Christian, Mike Murray, Dave A. Jessup

2. Pathogens may enter the ocean through surface runoff or sewage discharges, and serve as a source of infection for the threatened southern sea otter

3. Fresh sea otter feces: -fresh dead otters -live-captured otters -known otter haul-out sites BacteriaProtozoans Culture w/ confirmation Fecal float & DFAT Culture w/ confirmation Fecal float & DFAT Bank material for subsequent molecular studies STUDY DESIGN

4. POTENTIAL FECAL PATHOGENS ProtozoaCryptosporidiumGiardia Bacteria Salmonella sp. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (0157:H7) Campylobacter jejuni Vibrio cholera, etc. Pleisomonas shigelloides Clostridium perfringens

5. SAMPLE SIZE: (number of fecal samples processed) Protozoa: 52 Bacteria: 40

6. RESULTS: PROTOZOA Cryptosporidium 3.8% Giardia1.9% (n = 52)

7. RESULTS: BACTERIA Enterotoxigenic E. coli 0% Vibrio cholera 0% Salmonella 2.5% Campylobacter jejuni-like 2.5% Pleisomonas shigelloides 17.5% Clostridium perfringens type A 20.0% (n = 40)

8. SUMMARY New host records for many organisms Some bacterial isolates associated with evidence of gastrointestinal disease Funding needed: normal intestinal “flora” of the sea otter role of organisms in pathogenicity Comparison with human and domestic animal strains Bioaccumulation of chemicals