Table e5.
Parasitic Diseases of Pinnipeds
| Type of Parasite | Name (Genus Species) | Location in Host | Associated Disease (if any) | Region Found | Species Affected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metazoan | |||||
| Nematode (Filarid)a | Acanthocheilonema spirocauda | Right ventricle and pulmonary arteries | endarteritis of the pulmonary artery; pulmonary infarction and thrombosis; granulomatous pneumonia; possible right sided heart failure lesions | Northern hemisphere | Multiple phocids |
| Nematode (Filarid)b | Acanthocheilonema odendhali (previously Dipetalonema) | Blubber, fur, skin, intermuscular fascia | Nonpathogenic; filaremia | Northern hemisphere | Northern Fur seals and California sea lion |
| Nematode (Metastrongyle)c,d,e | Parafilaroides (Filaroides) gymnurus | Alveoli | Minor pneumonia unless secondary bacterial infections | Northern hemisphere | Atlantic harbor seal, grey, bearded seal |
| Nematode (Metastrongyle)c | P. (F.) decorus | Alveoli | Minor pneumonia unless secondary bacterial infections | Northern hemisphere | Steller sea lion, California sea lion |
| Nematode (Metastrongyle)c,f | P. (F.) hispidus | Alveoli | Mild pneumonia unless secondary bacterial infections | Northern hemisphere | Ringed seal, gray seal |
| Nematode (Metastrongyle)c,g | P. (F.) measuresae | Alveoli | Mild pneumonia unless secondary bacterial infections | Northern hemisphere | Northern Elephant seal |
| Nematode (Metastrongyle)C,G | P. (F.) gullandae | Alveoli | Mild pneumonia unless secondary bacterial infections | Northern hemisphere | Pacific harbor seal |
| Nematode (Metastrongyle)C | P. (F.) hydrurgae | Alveoli | Mild pneumonia unless secondary bacterial infections | Southern hemisphere—Antarctica | Leopard seal |
| Nematode (Metastrongyle)c | P. (F.) normani | Alveoli | Mild pneumonia unless secondary bacterial infections | Southern hemisphere—New Zealand | New Zealand fur seal, Australian fur seal, and sub-Antarctic fur seal |
| Nematode (Metastrongyle)d,h,e,i | Otostrongylus circumlitus | Right ventricle, pulmonary arteries, bronchi | Mild catarrhal bronchitis, mild arteritis, mild pneumonia; DIC, severe arteritis, thrombosis, and interstitial pneumonia in northern elephant seals | Circumpolar | Harbor, ringed, gray, northern elephant seals |
| Nematode (Hookworm)j,k | Uncinaria lucasi, U. hamiltoni | Small intestine | Anemia, hemorrhagic enteritis | Northern and southern hemispheres | Multiple ottarids, ringed seal, elephant seal. |
| Nematode (Roundworm)i,xsl | Anisakis sp., Contracaecum sp., Pseudoterranova sp., Phocoascaris sp. | Stomach, small intestine | Usually subclinical; gastric ulceration | Northern and southern hemispheres | Multiple species |
| Nematodem | Trichinella nativa | Muscle cysts | Nonpathogenic; zoonotic potential | Circumpolar | Walrus, bearded seal, grays seal, ringed seal |
| Trematodei | Multile genera; Pricetrema sp. most common | Small and large intestine | Nonpathogenic | Northern and southern hemispheres | Multiple species |
| Trematodei,n | Multiple genera; Zalophotrema hepaticum most common | Bile ducts, gall bladder | Mild biliary tract inflammation, portal fibrosis, bile duct and gall bladder hyperplasia; aberrant cerebral migration reported in CSLs | Northern hemisphere | California sea lion, harbor seal, northern elephant seal |
| Cestodei,l | Diphyllobothriidae and Tetrabothriidae (many species) | Small and large intestine | Obstruction and malabosorption with large parasite loads | Northern and southern hemispheres | Multiple species |
| Cestodei | Phyllobothrium delphini | Subcutis | Encysted larvae | Southern hemisphere | Sea lion, fur seal, leopard seal |
| Acanthocephalani | Corynosoma sp. | Small intestine | Ulcerative enteritis with occasional penetration through intestine wall | Northern and southern hemispheres | Multiple species |
| Protozoan | |||||
| Flagellatei,o,p | Giardia sp. | Intestine, feces | Unknown | Northern hemisphere | Multiple species |
| Apicomplexiao,p,q,r | Cryptosporidium | Intestine, feces | Unknown | Northern and Southern hemispheres | Multiple species |
| Ectoparasite | |||||
| Sucking Lices | Antarctophthirius sp. | Skin | With heavy infestations, anemia | Multiple species | |
| Sucking Licea | Echinophthirius horridus | Skin | With heavy infestations, anemia and weakened animals more susceptible to other infections; Focal alopecia; may transmit heartworm Acanthocheilonema spirocauda | Northern phocid seals | |
| Mitei | Demodex spp. | Skin | hyperkeratosis, alopecia, pruitus | California sea lions, northern fur seals | |
| Mitet | Halarachne miroungae | Nasal passages, nasopharynx | Mild nasal discharge, mild chronic inflammation at attachment sites | Gray seals | |
| Miteu | Orthohalarchne attenuata | Nasal passages, nasopharynx | Mild nasal discharge, mild chronic inflammation at attachment sites | Multiple ottarids and walrus | |
| Mitei,u | Orthohalarchne dimmunata | Trachea, bronchi | Mild chronic inflammation at attachment sites | Multiple ottarids | |
| Miteu | Halarchne halichoeri | Nasal passages, nasopharynx | Mild nasal discharge, mild chronic inflammation at attachment sites | Harbor and spotted seals |
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