Occurrence of Pathogens in the Barents Sea Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Subpopulation

Abstract—The seropositivity of polar bears from the Barents Sea subpopulation to a number of pathogens was analyzed: Canine distemper virus, Herpes simplex virus, Parvovirus, Toxoplasma, Trichinella (Trichinella sp.), Mycoplasma (Mycoplasma sp.), Candida (Candida sp.), and Chlamydia (Chlamydia sp.). Seropositive animals have been identified for Canine distemper virus and Trichinella. The proportion of seropositive animals to Trichinella was the maximal. Over the past ten years, an increased share of animals seropositive to Trichinella and Canine distemper virus has been noted in the study area.