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Table 2 Major causes of death, histo-pathology and etiology findings in European bat species.

From: Diseases in free-ranging bats from Germany

Bat species

Cause of death

(%)

Main histo-pathological findings

Bacterial infection

(%)

Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)

Trauma†

(42.0)

1. Mild to severe interstitial pneumonia

Pasteurella multocida

(68.2)

 

Organ lesions‡

(23.9)

2. Mild to severe enteritis

Enterococcus faecalis

 
 

Bacterial infection

(9.4)

3. Mild to severe multiorgan parasitosis

Enterobacteriaceae

 
 

Others*

(24.6)

 

Bacillus cereus

 

Nathusius' pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii)

Trauma†

(36.4)

1. Mild to severe interstitial pneumonia

Pasteurella multocida

(28.6)

 

Organ lesions‡

(18.2)

2. Necroses (liver, kidney)

Staphylococcus aureus

(28.6)

 

Bacterial infection

(18.2)

3. Mild to severe multiorgan parasitosis

Enterobacteriaceae

 
 

Others*

(27.2)

   

Common noctule (Nyctalus noctula)

Trauma§

(70.7)

1. Mild to moderate interstitial pneumonia

Enterobacteriaceae (Salmonella species, Escherichia coli)

 
 

Organ lesions‡

(12.0)

2. Mild to severe multiorgan parasitosis

Staphylococcus aureus

 
 

Bacterial infection

(4.3)

3. Mild to severe enteritis

  
 

Others*

(13.0)

4. Foreign body granulomatous glossitisf

  
   

5. Pulmonary arterial hypertension

  

Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus)

Trauma

(22.6)

1. Mild to severe interstitial pneumonia

Enterococcus species

(55.6)

 

Organ lesions

(20.8)

2. Inflammatory cell infiltrates (liver)

Enterobacteriaceae

 
 

Bacterial infection

(13.2)

3. Mild to severe multiorgan parasitosis

Pasteurella multocida

 
 

Others*

(43.4)

4. Mild to severe enteritis

Aerococcus viridans

 

Northern bat (Eptesicus nilssonii)

Organ lesions

(41.2)

1. Mild to moderate interstitial pneumonia

Enterococcus faecium

 
 

Trauma

(11.8)

2. Mild to severe enteritis

  
 

Bacterial infection

(5.9)

3. Inflammatory cell infiltrates (liver)

  
 

Others*

(41.1)

   

Parti-coloured bat (Vespertilio murinus)

Organ lesions

(30.4)

1. Mild to moderate interstitial pneumonia

Pasteurella multocida

(42.9)

 

Bacterial infection

(26.1)

2. Necroses (various organs)

Enterococcus species

(42.9)

 

Trauma†

(21.7)

3. Fibrinous suppurative peri-/epicarditis

Enterobacter species

 
 

Others*

(21.7)

4. Severe multiorgan hemosiderosis

  

Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus)

Bacterial infection

(20.8)

1. Mild to severe interstitial pneumonia

Pasteurella multocida

(40.0)

 

Organ lesions‡

(16.7)

2. Necroses (various organs)

Enterobacteriaceae

 
 

Trauma†

(12.5)

   
 

Others*

(50.0)

   

Whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus)

Trauma†

(26.3)

1. Mild to severe interstitial pneumonia

Pasteurella multocida

(33.3)

 

Bacterial infection

(15.8)

2. Renal/intestinal coccidiosis

Enterobacteriaceae

 
 

Organ lesions‡

(5.3)

3. Mild bile duct proliferation

Enterococcus faecalis

 
 

Others*

(52.6)

 

Clostridium sordellii

 

Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii)

Trauma

(50.0)

1. Mild to moderate interstitial pneumonia

Cedecea davisae

 
 

Organ lesions‡

(10.0)

2. Mild to focal severe enteritis

  
 

Others*

(40.0)

3. Severe necrotizing hepatitis

  

Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri)

Trauma

(35.3)

1. Mild interstitial pneumonia

Enterococcus faecalis

 
 

Organ lesions‡

(11.8)

2. Mild to moderate enteritis

  
 

Bacterial infection

(5.9)

   
 

Others*

(47.0)

   
  1. † Mainly due to cat predation.
  2. ‡ Pathological changes of unknown etiology.
  3. § Mainly due to roost destruction, trapped individuals and wing fractures of unknown cause.
  4. * Pulmonary edema, anemia, dehydration, hypoglycemia, hypo-/hyperthermia, no significant findings.
  5. fAssociated with chitinous body parts of prey insects [30].