Epidemic threat to Irish seals

IRELAND'S seal population is under threat from an epidemic that may prove as fatal as the recent Foot and Mouth outbreak was for livestock.

Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) is already sweeping through the seal populations of northern Europe.

The virus has killed more than 700 seals around the UK and shows no sign of relenting.

Experts have called on the public not to approach sick seals and to keep dogs away to help halt the spread of the disease.

The last mass PDV outbreak hit northern Europe in 1988 and killed 18,000 seals - 60 per cent of the population.

In the new outbreak more than 4,000 seals have died in Scandanavian waters, as well as hundreds off the Holland.

This week the Irish Seal Sanctuary went on alert after a young male seal washed up on Salthill beach. The seal died en-route to the sanctuary.

However, a postmortem at the UCD's Vet College confirmed that PDV was not the cause of death.

Symptoms of PDV include respiratory problems, vomiting, diarrhoea, disorientation, and oral and nasal discharge.

The virus incubation period is 10 to 14 days. The virus is infectious. So far it is unclear what caused the outbreak, in which the seals suffer a painful death as the virus erodes their immune system, leading to symptoms similar to those of pneumonia.

People should report dead or sick seals to the Irish Seal Sanctuary on 01-8354370.

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