IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v393y1998i6680d10.1038_29906.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Did algal toxins cause monk seal mortality?

Author

Listed:
  • Mauro Hernández

    (Laboratorio Forense de Vida Silvestre, P. Conde de los Gaitanes)

  • Ian Robinson

    (Norfolk Wildlife Hospital, RSPCA)

  • Alex Aguilar

    (Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona)

  • Luis Mariano González

    (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente)

  • Luis Felipe López-Jurado

    (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)

  • María Isabel Reyero

    (Centro Oceanografico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía)

  • Emiliano Cacho

    (Community Reference Laboratory on Marine Biotoxins, Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo)

  • José Franco

    (Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas de Vigo)

  • Victoria López-Rodas

    (Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University)

  • Eduardo Costas

    (Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University)

Abstract

The population of Mediterranean monk seals off the coast of the western Sahara has recently suffered a sudden mortality. A morbillivirus was isolated post-mortem from the tissues of three seals1, and it has been proposed that the virus was the agent responsible. This conclusion is called into question by epidemiological, clinical, pathological and toxicological considerations. We suggest here that intoxication by algal toxins is a more likely cause of the deaths.

Suggested Citation

  • Mauro Hernández & Ian Robinson & Alex Aguilar & Luis Mariano González & Luis Felipe López-Jurado & María Isabel Reyero & Emiliano Cacho & José Franco & Victoria López-Rodas & Eduardo Costas, 1998. "Did algal toxins cause monk seal mortality?," Nature, Nature, vol. 393(6680), pages 28-29, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:393:y:1998:i:6680:d:10.1038_29906
    DOI: 10.1038/29906
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/29906
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/29906?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:393:y:1998:i:6680:d:10.1038_29906. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.