ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Environmental contaminants such as pesticides, polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs), and mercury, bioaccumulate up the food chain. These can reach exceedingly high concentrations in apex predators such as marine mammals, and are known to have a significant impact on immune function. This can then impact susceptibility to disease and may ultimately impact the levels of morbidity and mortality that a given pathogen can cause. As part of this project, we collaborate with Dr. Milton Levin for pesticides and PCBs, and Dr. Mandy Keogh and Dr. Lorrie Rea for mercury analyses. We are interested in determining the types and levels of contaminants present in these animals, assessing immune health of each animal, and correlating these findings with susceptibility to viral pathogens such as influenza and morbillivirus.