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Considerations for minimising the spread of infectious disease in Antarctic seabirds and seals
Citation
Grimaldi, W and Jabour, J and Woehler, EJ, Considerations for minimising the spread of infectious disease in Antarctic seabirds and seals , Polar Record, 47, (240) pp. 56-66. ISSN 0032-2474 (2011) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright Cambridge University Press 2010
Official URL: http://journals.cambridge.org/
DOI: doi:10.1017/S0032247410000100
Abstract
Before 1998, concern was raised over the potential for human activities in Antarctica to introduce
infectious disease organisms to native wildlife. A workshop was held that year to address this issue. In the last decade,
there has been a dramatic increase in human traffic to the Antarctic and the number of commercial tourists visiting
the Antarctic has steadily risen. Personnel of national science programmes, though relatively few in numbers, have
the most intimate contact with wildlife and thus the greater potential to introduce organisms through their research
activities. Many visitors are now able to arrive in the Antarctic from temperate regions within hours by aircraft, and
from northern polar regions within 24 to 36 hours. Tourists, by their high numbers, also have the potential to transfer
infectious disease agents among commonly visited sites. As of 2009, no outbreaks of infectious diseases in the Antarctic
reported in the literature have been directly attributed to human activity, but the ameliorating climate may break down
the barriers that have kept Antarctic wildlife relatively free of infectious diseases. Several agents of infectious diseases
reported in Antarctic seabirds and seals are assessed for their likelihood to occur more frequently in terms of the
characteristics of the agent, the behaviour of Antarctic wildlife, and the effects of an ameliorating climate (regional
warming) in conjunction with continued increasing human activities.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Microbiology |
| Research Field: | Infectious agents |
| Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
| Objective Group: | Terrestrial systems and management |
| Objective Field: | Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in terrestrial environments |
| UTAS Author: | Grimaldi, W (Ms Wray Grimaldi) |
| UTAS Author: | Jabour, J (Dr Julia Jabour) |
| UTAS Author: | Woehler, EJ (Dr Eric Woehler) |
| ID Code: | 64718 |
| Year Published: | 2011 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 14 |
| Deposited By: | Zoology |
| Deposited On: | 2010-08-18 |
| Last Modified: | 2012-06-07 |
| Downloads: | 8 View Download Statistics |
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