Abstract
This study summarizes the postmortem investigations of 73 cetaceans stranded on the coast of Taiwan between 2001 and 2013, including 51 Delphinidae, 17 Kogiidae, 3 Ziphiidae, 1 Physeteridae, and 1 Balaenopteridae. Of these, eight (11%) were categorized into direct human-related strandings, including fisheries interaction (bycatch), vessel collision and other anthropogenic-related pathology. Gastrointestinal foreign bodies were found in eight individuals (11%). Most of the bacteria isolated from stranded dolphins were zoonotic pathogens including extended-spectrum β-lactamasesEscherichia coli, which indicates waste pollution from land. Severe parasite infestation was found in 36 of the cases (49%), which suggests that the immune function could be compromised. Thirty-eight cases (52%) were diagnosed with myocardial patchy fibrosis or dilated cardiomyopathy. The evidence shown here indicates that cetaceans around Taiwanese waters may suffer from multiple stressors. This study provides baseline data for the health assessment of cetacean populations in Taiwan, which may ultimately provide recommendations for future cetacean conservation and research throughout the western Pacific.
Highlights
Health assessments enable us to better understand the diseases, pathogens, and anthropogenic impacts that affect cetaceans, and thereby provide recommendations for cetacean conservation (McFee and Lipscomb, 2009; Bogomolni et al, 2010; Arbelo et al, 2013)
Bacteriological examination was performed in 38 individuals (52%) with 27 different bacteria strains isolated from 31 individuals (42%) (Figure 2)
It is surprising that the prevalence of severe parasite infestation of stranded cetaceans in Taiwan (49%, 36/73) is higher than that in Hong Kong waters (19%, 6/32) and in the German North Sea (39%, 11/28) (Parsons and Jefferson, 2000; Lehnert et al, 2005)
Summary
Health assessments enable us to better understand the diseases, pathogens, and anthropogenic impacts that affect cetaceans, and thereby provide recommendations for cetacean conservation (McFee and Lipscomb, 2009; Bogomolni et al, 2010; Arbelo et al, 2013) Such health assessments could be conducted by capture-release examination of cetaceans at sea (Wells et al, 2005; Miller et al, 2011; Schwacke et al, 2014), or postmortem examination of stranded cetaceans (Cornaglia et al, 2000; Parsons and Jefferson, 2000; McFee and Lipscomb, 2009; Bogomolni et al, 2010; Arbelo et al, 2013; Diaz-Delgado et al, 2018). Postmortem investigation of stranded cetaceans could provide an opportunity to carry out detailed sample collections and examinations during necropsy or rehabilitation, enabling disease detection in otherwise inaccessible wild populations (Reddy et al, 2001). Postmortem investigation of stranded cetaceans can provide an insight into the health status of cetacean populations
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