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Investigation into diseases in free-ranging ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in northwestern Germany during population decline with special reference to infectious pathogens
- Source :
- European Journal of Wildlife Research, European Journal of Wildlife Research, 64(2):12. Springer-Verlag
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2018.
-
Abstract
- The population of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) is decreasing all over Germany since the years 2008/2009. Besides impacts of habitat changes caused by current rates of land conversion, climatic influences or predators, a contribution of infectious pathogens needs also to be considered. Infectious and non-infectious diseases in free-living populations of ring-necked pheasants have been scarcely investigated so far. In the present study, carcasses of 258 deceased free-ranging pheasants of different age groups, predominantly adult pheasants, collected over a period of 4 years in the states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine–Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein, were examined pathomorphologically, parasitologically, virologically and bacteriologically, with a focus set on infectious pathogens. A periocular and perinasal dermatitis of unknown origin was present in 62.3% of the pheasants. Additional alterations included protozoal cysts in the skeletal musculature (19.0%), hepatitis (21.7%), enteritis (18.7%), gastritis (12.6%), and pneumonia (11.7%). In single cases, neoplasms (2.6%) and mycobacteriosis (1.7%) occurred. Further findings included identification of coronaviral DNA from trachea or caecal tonsils (16.8%), siadenoviral DNA (7.6%), avian metapneumoviral RNA (6.6%), and infectious bursal disease viral RNA (3.7%). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on herpesvirus, avian influenza virus (AIV), paramyxovirus type 1 (PMV-1), avian encephalomyelitis virus (AEV), and chlamydia were negative. Based on the present results, there is no indication of a specific pathogen as a sole cause for population decline in adult pheasants. However, an infectious disease can still not be completely excluded as it may only affect reproduction effectivity or a certain age group of pheasants (e.g., chicks) which were not presented in the study.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Veterinary medicine
040301 veterinary sciences
Population
Ring-necked pheasant
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
medicine.disease_cause
Virus
Enteritis
Infectious bursal disease
0403 veterinary science
03 medical and health sciences
Germany
medicine
education
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Nature and Landscape Conservation
education.field_of_study
Infectious disease
biology
food and beverages
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
Population decline
medicine.disease
biology.organism_classification
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1
3. Good health
030104 developmental biology
Infectious disease (medical specialty)
Phasianus colchicus
Original Article
Phasianus
Encephalitis
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14390574 and 16124642
- Volume :
- 64
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- European Journal of Wildlife Research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....24fb65b926c643e0a955d81e7701aa62