HOW on earth did this happen?
A number of elephant seals that live off
the coast of California have been detected
as having trace symptoms of H1N1 swine flu
virus that reached pandemic levels in 2009.
Scientists studying the animals say it is the
first time they have seen the flu strain in a
sea animal, especially since the virus was
borne from, obviously not sea based, pigs.
University of California Wildlife Health
Centre associate professor Tracey Goldstein
was as perplexed as anyone, commenting
“The seals on land in early 2010 tested
negative before they went to sea, but when
they returned from sea in spring 2010, they
tested positive – so the question is, where
did it come from?”
Waste released from shipping vessels
could be linked to a possible cause.
“We thought we might find influenza
viruses, which have been found before in
marine mammals, but we did not expect to
find pandemic H1N1,” Goldstein said.
