Clinical, pathological, and laboratory diagnoses of diseases of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), live stranded on the Dutch and adjacent coasts from 2003 to 2016

Table 6 Comparison of frequency, location and aetiology of causes of death or stranding in harbour porpoises from the North Sea of five autopsy overviews

Publication	Location of lesion, or reason responsible for stranding or death
Publication	Lungs	Starvation	Brain	Liver	Integument	Kidney	Sepsis	Unknown	Other
British waters 1979–1991^a [13] (n = 31) 21 neonates, 30 juveniles, 49 adults
Total prevalence	45	10				3	6	10	32
Parasites	23
Bacteria	13						6
Fungi	3
Viruses
Non inflammatory	6					3
German North and Baltic seas 1991–1996^{a, b} [16] (n = 66) 5 foetuses, 35 < 0.5 years, 0.5 < 41 < 4 years, 4 years < 20
Total prevalence	46	≤ 7	?	?	?	?	?	24	?
Parasites plus bacteria	Mainly
Fungi	2
Belgium and Northern France 1990–2000^a [14] 11 neonates, 57 juveniles, 32 adults
Total prevalence	56	9	4				2	?
Parasites	26
Bacteria			2				2
Parasites plus bacteria	30
Unknown			2
England and Wales 1990–1995^a [15] (n = 104) ages not specified
Total prevalence	28	20	2	1			7	23	19
Parasites	8
Bacteria	6						6
Parasites plus bacteria	8
Fungi	2
Viruses							1
Non inflammatory
Unknown	5		2	1
Dutch and adjacent coasts 2003–2016 (n = 61) 7 neonates, 70 juveniles, 23 adults
Total prevalence	58	16	11	11	13	7	5	7	20
Parasites	15
Bacteria	10			2	7		5
Parasites plus bacteria	11
Fungi	7		3
Fungi plus parasites	5
Fungi plus bacteria	11		2
Viruses			2
Viruses plus bacteria					2
Non inflammatory	2			3	5 (trauma)	7
Unknown	8		5	7

Between brackets are number of animals autopsied. All other numbers are percentages. Italics numbers are total percentages.
Prevalence for causes of stranding for the publication referring to the Dutch coast, prevalence for cause of death for the four other publications.
?, could not be deduced from publication.
^aBycaught animals, decomposed animals and animals dead due to suspected by-catch related trauma excluded.
^bResults reported for mixed bycaught and stranded animals, only results reported for which it was clear they related to stranded animals.

ISSN: 1297-9716