Assessing Fifty Years of General Health Surveillance of Roe Deer in Switzerland: A Retrospective Analysis of Necropsy Reports

Abstract

General wildlife health surveillance is a valuable source of information on the causes of mortality, disease susceptibility and pathology of the investigated hosts and it is considered to be an essential component of early warning systems. However, the representativeness of data from such surveillance programs is known to be limited by numerous biases. The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus capreolus) is the most abundant ungulate and a major game species all over Europe. Yet, internationally available literature on roe deer pathology is scarce. The aims of this study were (1) to provide an overview of the causes of mortality or morbidity observed in roe deer in Switzerland and to assess potential changes in the disease pattern over time; and (2) to evaluate the value and limitations of a long term dataset originating from general wildlife health surveillance. We compiled 1571 necropsy reports of free ranging roe deer examined at the Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health in Switzerland from 1958 to 2014. Descriptive data analysis was performed considering animal metadata, submitter, pathologist in charge, laboratory methods, morphological diagnoses and etiologies. Recurrent causes of mortality and disease pictures included pneumonia, diarrhea, meningoencephalitis, actinomycosis, blunt trauma, predation, neoplasms and anomalies. By contrast, other diagnoses such as fatal parasitic gastritis, suspected alimentary intoxication and reproductive disorders appeared only in earlier time periods. Diseases potentially relevant for other animals or humans such as caseous lymphadenitis (or pseudotuberculosis), salmonellosis, paratuberculosis and listeriosis were sporadically observed. The disease pattern in roe deer from Switzerland was largely in accordance with previous reports. The observed fluctuations were consistent with methodical and/or personnel changes and varying disease awareness. Nevertheless, despite such limitations, the compiled data provide a valuable baseline. To facilitate comparison among studies, we recommend systematically archiving all case documents and fixed tissues and to perform data analyses more regularly and in a harmonized way.

Causes of mortality and morbidity in free-ranging mustelids in Switzerland: necropsy data from over 50 years of general health surveillance

“…The Principality of Liechtenstein (160 km 2 ) is adjacent to the eastern Swiss border and affiliated with the Swiss veterinary services (status similar to that of a canton). Depending on the hunting system of the canton, either hunters or officially appointed game wardens are in charge of wildlife health surveillance in the field [ 41 , 43 ].…”

“…Macroscopic examination was carried out either on whole carcasses ( n = 550), or on single organs selected by the submitters ( n = 16); histopathology was performed in most cases ( n = 353). Tissue processing and staining methods were performed according to the standard protocols of the Institute of Animal Pathology of the University of Bern [ 43 ]. Additional diagnostic testing was conducted as indicated by case history and gross necropsy findings.…”

Retrospective Study of Listeria monocytogenes Isolated in the Territory of Inner Eurasia from 1947 to 1999

“…Meanwhile, L. monocytogenes is a common contaminant of raw milk, and its occurrence in the bulk tank milk of the dairy cow ranges from 2% to 7% [23][24][25]. In general, wild animals are asymptomatic carriers that shed the bacterium in their feces, although invasive infection has been described in wild small rodents and both invasive infection and fatal cases have been described in wild deer [9,17,[26][27][28].…”

Electrode‐Free Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Harvesting Human Biomechanical Energy and as a Versatile Inartificial Physiological Monitor

“…The real‐time physiological surveillance is widely used in health monitoring and disease diagnosis for critical patients and persons with disabilities. The traditional monitors usually require mounting of sensors on the body and restrict patients’ motility and daily activities . The low adaptability and convenience impose a limitation on the development of health monitoring.…”

“…The traditional monitors usually require mounting of sensors on the body and restrict patients' motility and daily activities. [33,34] The low adaptability and convenience impose a limitation on the development of health monitoring. In addition, batteries or external power sources are essential for sensors, which leads to a low sustainability.…”