Health
Intertidal Zone: Avian influenza that harms the population of seals in Maine
Harp seals sleep in aquariums at a rehabilitation facility for marine mammals in Maine, Harpswell. Anyone who encounters a seal puppy will be warned to stay away as the encounter stresses the animal. Gregory Wreck / Staff Photographer
Last week I wrote a sad story about finding a dead eagle on the shore after seeing the strange behavior of a bald eagle for a few days. The eagle may have died of bird flu, which affects not only wild birds in Maine but also herds in the backyard. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is one of the most common flus in birds and, like humans, can have varying degrees of severity, from mild cough to high fever. In some cases it can be fatal. As the name implies, it is so contagious that the Maine case is taken very seriously.
Susan Olcott
One of the things I learned when studying HPAI was that there were no known cases of bird-to-human transmission in Maine. But this week, I learned that HPAI can infect marine mammals and has recently affected seal populations in Maine. The Maine Marine Mammals (MMoME) group is a non-profit organization dedicated to dealing with seals and other marine mammals stranded and rehabilitating sick and injured animals at the Brunswick facility. Maine Marine Mammals is one of the three Northeastern Marine Mammals Centers and the only Marine Mammals Center in Maine.
Recently, MMoME released the latest information on bird flu and its effects on seals. Since June, reported seal mortality has increased. As a result of the test, USDA’s National Institute of Veterinary Services confirmed a positive result for H5N1HPAI by gray seals. Then there were some other seal deaths due to HPAI. They report that the mortality rate of gray seals and harbor seals is three times higher than normal during this period. As a result, MMoME has worked with NOAA Fisheries, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, and other state and federal partners to investigate the issue.
The biggest message MMoME wants to share is to let people know what to do if they come across a dead or suffering seal. A few years ago, I wrote about seal grounding during the parenting season and some of the misunderstandings people have about how to help them. This was based on another personal experience of finding a group of people gathered around a seal cub on a beach in southern Maine. After calling MMoME to inform them about the seal and asking what to do, we drew a wide border around the seal and made a sign telling people to leave it alone. Getting too close to a seal cub can cause stress and affect its ability to recover and return to water. The recommendation is to be at least 150 feet away. I also learned that seals are perfectly healthy and may only be resting after a long day of swimming or fishing. Also, MMoME contacts reminded me that seals are mammals and can stay out of the water for long periods of time so you don’t have to worry about keeping them wet.
However, beach seal puppies are in a slightly different situation than puppies that may have bird flu. Although the CDC rates bird flu as a low health risk to humans, there are still concerns about transmission to both humans and other animals, including pets. HPAI applies the same protocol as the 2018 seal virus outbreak, which had an unusually high number of seal deaths. Do not touch or approach animals. Instead, contact the Maine State Reporting Hotline (1-800-532-9551). This is the number for both grounding and mortality. They can assess the situation and determine the best response.
If you are interested in volunteering or contributing to your organization, the work of MMoME is also worth a look. You can subscribe to our newsletter for more information on this situation and other marine mammals in Maine (mmome.org).
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