海洋哺乳动物中首次发现甲流病毒

U.S. researchers said Wednesday they have detected for the first time the H1N1 virus in elephant seals off the coast of central California.

美国研究人员15日说，他们在加利福尼亚州海域的海象身上首次发现了甲型H1N1流感病毒。

The H1N1 strain is the same one that emerged in humans in 2009 and it's the first report of that flu strain in any marine mammal, researchers at the University of California, Davis reported in the journal PLOS ONE.

相同的甲流病毒在2009年在人类身上首次出现，而这是首次在海洋哺乳动物身上发现甲流病毒，美国加州大学戴维斯分校的研究人员当天在美国《科学公共图书馆综合卷》上报告说。

Between 2009 and 2011, the researchers tested nasal swabs from more than 900 marine mammals from 10 different species off the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California. They detected H1N1 infection in two elephant seals and antibodies to the virus in an additional 28 elephant seals, indicating more widespread exposure.

2009年至2011年间，他们采集了生活在美国沿太平洋海岸从阿拉斯加到加利福尼亚的10种不同品种900多只海洋哺乳动物的鼻拭子标本。经检测，研究人员在两头海象身上发现了甲流病毒，另在28头海象身上发现甲流病毒抗体，这说明或许有更多的海象接触到甲流病毒。

Neither infected seal appeared to be ill, indicating marine mammals may be infected without showing clinical signs of illness.

两头被检测出甲流病毒的海象均没有表现出患病症状，这说明它们可能感染甲流病毒但不会发病。

The researchers said the seals tested negative before they went to sea in early 2010 but they tested positive when they returned from sea in spring 2010. They suspected that exposure occurred in the seals before they reached land, either while at sea or upon entering the near-shore environment.

研究人员表示，2010年2月两头海象从陆地进入大海前，它们的甲流病毒检测还呈阴性，但当它们4、5月从海里返回时，检测却呈阳性。海象身上都有标记并被卫星跟踪，在海中不太可能与人直接接触。研究人员因此推测，海象接触到甲流病毒或许在上岸前。

The researchers advised people who handle marine mammals, such as veterinarians and animal workers, to wear personal protective gear in a bid to avoid the possibility of infection.

研究人员建议，可能与海洋哺乳动物接触的人员应佩戴防护装备，以免受病毒感染。