July 20, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA has declared an Unusual Mortality Event for elevated Maine harbor and gray seal strandings from June 1, 2022 to present.
Beginning in June 2022, Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME)—a NOAA Fisheries authorized marine mammal stranding network partner—has responded to an elevated number of stranded seals. Most of the seals were found dead. On July 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed that samples from four stranded seals in Maine have tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1. HPAI is a “zoonotic disease” that has the potential to spread between animals and people (and their pets).
Live seals on the beach have symptoms including lethargy, coughing, discharge from the eyes and nose, seizures, and death. Preliminary testing of samples has found some harbor and gray seals positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, which is a zoonotic disease that has the potential to spread between animals and people, and their pets. There is an ongoing HPAI H5N1 event North America that was first detected in early winter 2021. The first detections in Maine waterfowl were in February 2022. HPAI H5N1 has now been confirmed in 41 U.S. states and 11 Canada provinces, in commercial poultry, backyard flocks, nearly 90 species of wild birds, eight species of scavenging mammals, and now seals.
According to the CDC, the health risk posed to the general public is low however, precautions are recommended for people and their pets. We continue to ask the public not to touch ill, stranded or floating dead seals, to keep pets far away from seals, and to call their local stranding network organization to report live or dead stranded seals. The most important action someone can take is to immediately report strandings to the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Networks rather than take matters into their own hands.
To date, the seal strandings have been focused along the southern and central coast of Maine from Biddeford to Boothbay (including Cumberland, Lincoln, Knox, Sagadahoc and York Counties). There have been a total of 150 seals reported in the event as of July 18, 2022. Harbor and gray seals in the U.S. are not listed as “endangered” or “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act or as “depleted” under the MMPA.
NOAA Fisheries is working with our local, state, tribal, federal and international partners as appropriate in the investigation of HPAI in seals. We will update our website regularly with information as it becomes available. You can follow this event through updates on this page.