Causes of cetacean stranding and death on the Catalonian coast (western Mediterranean Sea), 2012-2019
Author
Cuvertoret-Sanz, María
López-Figueroa, Carlos
O'Byrne, Alicia
Canturri, Albert
Martí-Garcia, Bernat
Pintado, Ester
Pérez, Lola
Cobos, Alex
Abarca, María Lourdes
Raga, Juan Antonio
Van Bressem, Marie-François
Publication date
2020-12-17ISSN
0177-5103
Abstract
The causes of cetacean stranding and death along the Catalan coast between 2012 and 2019 were systematically investigated. Necropsies and detailed pathological investigations were performed on 89 well-preserved stranded cetaceans, including 72 striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba, 9 Risso's dolphins Grampus griseus, 5 bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus, 1 common dolphin Delphinus delphis, 1 Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris and 1 fin whale Balaenoptera physalus. The cause of death was determined for 89.9% of the stranded cetaceans. Fisheries interaction was the most frequent cause of death in striped dolphins (27.8%) and bottlenose dolphins (60%). Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) was detected on the Catalan coast from 2016 to 2017, causing systemic disease and death in 8 of the 72 (11.1%) striped dolphins. Chronic CeMV infection of the central nervous system was observed from 2018-2019 in a further 5 striped dolphins. Thus, acute and chronic CeMV disease caused mortality in 18% of striped dolphins and 14.6% of all 89 cetaceans. Brucella ceti was isolated in 6 striped dolphins and 1 bottlenose dolphin with typical brucellosis lesions and in 1 striped dolphin with systemic CeMV. Sinusitis due to severe infestation by the nematode parasite Crassicauda grampicola caused the death of 4 out of 6 adult Risso's dolphins. Maternal separation, in some cases complicated with septicemia, was a frequent cause of death in 13 of 14 calves. Other less common causes of death were encephalomalacia of unknown origin, septicemia, peritonitis due to gastric perforation by parasites and hepatitis caused by Sarcocystis spp.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
619 - Veterinary science
Pages
15
Publisher
Inter Research
Is part of
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (Dao)
Citation
Cuvertoret-Sanz, M, C López-Figueroa, A O’Byrne, A Canturri, B Martí-Garcia, E Pintado, and L Pérez et al. 2020. "Causes Of Cetacean Stranding And Death On The Catalonian Coast (Western Mediterranean Sea), 2012-2019". Diseases Of Aquatic Organisms 142: 239-253. doi:10.3354/dao03550.
Program
Sanitat Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2503]
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