Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016
Abstract Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the North Sea live in an environment heavily impacted by humans, the consequences of which are a concern for their health. Autopsies carried out on stranded harbour porpoises provide an opportunity to assess health problems in this species. We perfor...
Published in: | Veterinary Research |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
BMC
2019
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 https://doaj.org/article/8297e6d51e694bdea5872cca909fc908 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8297e6d51e694bdea5872cca909fc908 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8297e6d51e694bdea5872cca909fc908 2023-05-15T17:59:09+02:00 Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016 Cornelis E. van Elk Marco W. G. van de Bildt Peter R. W. A. van Run Paulien Bunskoek Jolanda Meerbeek Geoffrey Foster Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus Thijs Kuiken 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 https://doaj.org/article/8297e6d51e694bdea5872cca909fc908 EN eng BMC http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 https://doaj.org/toc/1297-9716 doi:10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 1297-9716 https://doaj.org/article/8297e6d51e694bdea5872cca909fc908 Veterinary Research, Vol 50, Iss 1, Pp 1-17 (2019) Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 2022-12-31T05:41:35Z Abstract Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the North Sea live in an environment heavily impacted by humans, the consequences of which are a concern for their health. Autopsies carried out on stranded harbour porpoises provide an opportunity to assess health problems in this species. We performed 61 autopsies on live-stranded harbour porpoises, which died following admission to a rehabilitation centre between 2003 and 2016. The animals had stranded on the Dutch (n = 52) and adjacent coasts of Belgium (n = 2) and Germany (n = 7). We assigned probable causes for stranding based on clinical and pathological criteria. Cause of stranding was associated in the majority of cases with pathologies in multiple organs (n = 29) compared to animals with pathologies in a single organ (n = 18). Our results show that the three most probable causes of stranding were pneumonia (n = 35), separation of calves from their mother (n = 10), and aspergillosis (n = 9). Pneumonia as a consequence of pulmonary nematode infection occurred in 19 animals. Pneumonia was significantly associated with infection with Pseudalius inflexus, Halocercus sp., and Torynurus convolutus but not with Stenurus minor infection. Half of the bacterial pneumonias (6/12) could not be associated with nematode infection. Conclusions from this study are that aspergillosis is an important probable cause for stranding, while parasitic infection is not a necessary prerequisite for bacterial pneumonia, and approximately half of the animals (29/61) probably stranded due to multiple causes. An important implication of the observed high prevalence of aspergillosis is that these harbour porpoises suffered from reduced immunocompetence. Article in Journal/Newspaper Phocoena phocoena Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Veterinary Research 50 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 |
spellingShingle |
Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Cornelis E. van Elk Marco W. G. van de Bildt Peter R. W. A. van Run Paulien Bunskoek Jolanda Meerbeek Geoffrey Foster Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus Thijs Kuiken Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016 |
topic_facet |
Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 |
description |
Abstract Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the North Sea live in an environment heavily impacted by humans, the consequences of which are a concern for their health. Autopsies carried out on stranded harbour porpoises provide an opportunity to assess health problems in this species. We performed 61 autopsies on live-stranded harbour porpoises, which died following admission to a rehabilitation centre between 2003 and 2016. The animals had stranded on the Dutch (n = 52) and adjacent coasts of Belgium (n = 2) and Germany (n = 7). We assigned probable causes for stranding based on clinical and pathological criteria. Cause of stranding was associated in the majority of cases with pathologies in multiple organs (n = 29) compared to animals with pathologies in a single organ (n = 18). Our results show that the three most probable causes of stranding were pneumonia (n = 35), separation of calves from their mother (n = 10), and aspergillosis (n = 9). Pneumonia as a consequence of pulmonary nematode infection occurred in 19 animals. Pneumonia was significantly associated with infection with Pseudalius inflexus, Halocercus sp., and Torynurus convolutus but not with Stenurus minor infection. Half of the bacterial pneumonias (6/12) could not be associated with nematode infection. Conclusions from this study are that aspergillosis is an important probable cause for stranding, while parasitic infection is not a necessary prerequisite for bacterial pneumonia, and approximately half of the animals (29/61) probably stranded due to multiple causes. An important implication of the observed high prevalence of aspergillosis is that these harbour porpoises suffered from reduced immunocompetence. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cornelis E. van Elk Marco W. G. van de Bildt Peter R. W. A. van Run Paulien Bunskoek Jolanda Meerbeek Geoffrey Foster Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus Thijs Kuiken |
author_facet |
Cornelis E. van Elk Marco W. G. van de Bildt Peter R. W. A. van Run Paulien Bunskoek Jolanda Meerbeek Geoffrey Foster Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus Thijs Kuiken |
author_sort |
Cornelis E. van Elk |
title |
Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016 |
title_short |
Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016 |
title_full |
Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016 |
title_fullStr |
Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016 |
title_sort |
clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016 |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 https://doaj.org/article/8297e6d51e694bdea5872cca909fc908 |
genre |
Phocoena phocoena |
genre_facet |
Phocoena phocoena |
op_source |
Veterinary Research, Vol 50, Iss 1, Pp 1-17 (2019) |
op_relation |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 https://doaj.org/toc/1297-9716 doi:10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 1297-9716 https://doaj.org/article/8297e6d51e694bdea5872cca909fc908 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-019-0706-3 |
container_title |
Veterinary Research |
container_volume |
50 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766167914027679744 |