Emerging pathogens and stress syndromes of cetaceans in European Waters: Cumulative effects

Abstract

Many studies have been conducted to understand the role of spontaneous diseases in cetacean conservation, focusing in particular on the interaction between the pathogen and its host. These interactions may be influenced by pollutants, but conclusive evidence of the influences of pollution in the development of a disease is not usually evident during postmortem investigations of cetaceans. For these reasons, the pathogen/host interaction must be first understood before these effects can be determined. Among the most significant emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) of cetaceans, those caused by Morbillivirus, Herpesvirus, Brucella ceti, and Toxoplasma gondii, along with a number of additional pathogens, have gained importance in recent years. EIDs have been reported in several cetacean species throughout the world, being responsible for dramatic mortality outbreaks and affecting reproductive function and biology, with associated population declines. A brief overview of the epidemiology of the aforementioned agents both in the Canary Islands archipelago and in the Mediterranean Sea is provided here.