Pathologic findings and causes of death of stranded cetaceans in the Canary Islands (2006-2012)

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 10; p. e0204444
• Main Authors: Díaz-Delgado, Josué, Fernández, Antonio, Sierra, Eva, Sacchini, Simona, Andrada, Marisa, Vela, Ana Isabel, Quesada-Canales, Óscar, Paz, Yania, Zucca, Daniele, Groch, Kátia, Arbelo, Manuel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 05.10.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animal sciences; Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic animals; Biology and Life Sciences; Cause of Death; Cetacea; Climate change; Communicable Diseases - mortality; Communicable Diseases - pathology; Communicable Diseases - veterinary; Conservation; Earth Sciences; Environmental aspects; Environmental policy; Female; Fishing; Food; Foreign Bodies - mortality; Foreign Bodies - pathology; Foreign Bodies - veterinary; Health aspects; Histology; Human Activities; Human behavior; Human influences; Hygiene; Interspecific; Islands; Laboratories; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Neonates; Nutritional status; Parasitic diseases; Pathogens; Pathology; Spain; Stranding; Veterinary colleges; Veterinary medicine; Whales; Whales & whaling; Zoology; Spain; Canary Islands; Brazil
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204444

This study describes the pathologic findings and most probable causes of death (CD) of 224 cetaceans stranded along the coastline of the Canary Islands (Spain) over a 7-year period, 2006-2012. Most probable CD, grouped as pathologic categories (PCs), was identified in 208/224 (92.8%) examined animals. Within natural PCs, those associated with good nutritional status represented 70/208 (33.6%), whereas, those associated with significant loss of nutritional status represented 49/208 (23.5%). Fatal intra- and interspecific traumatic interactions were 37/208 (17.8%). Vessel collisions included 24/208 (11.5%). Neonatal/perinatal pathology involved 13/208 (6.2%). Fatal interaction with fishing activities comprised 10/208 (4.8%). Within anthropogenic PCs, foreign body-associated pathology represented 5/208 (2.4%). A CD could not be determined in 16/208 (7.7%) cases. Natural PCs were dominated by infectious and parasitic disease processes. Herein, our results suggest that between 2006 and 2012, in the Canary Islands, direct human activity appeared responsible for 19% of cetaceans deaths, while natural pathologies accounted for 81%. These results, integrating novel findings and published reports, aid in delineating baseline knowledge on cetacean pathology and may be of value to rehabilitators, caregivers, diagnosticians and future conservation policies.