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Table 2 Main etiological diagnoses documented in free-ranging mustelids necropsied at the FIWI, Switzerland, 1958-2015

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

 

Badgers n = 249

Martensa n = 275

Othersb n = 42

Total n = 566

% 100

INFECTIOUS

97

66

13

261

46

Viral

 Distemper virus

45

14

1

60

11

Bacterial

Streptococcus sp.c

15

15

2

32

6

Escherichia sp.

5

9

2

16

3

Staphylococcus sp.

5

5

1

 Other bacteria

13d

14d,e

6f

33

6

Fungal

Histoplasma capsulatum

4

4

1

Aspergillus sp.

1

1

Parasitic

 Pulmonary parasites

4

3

2

9

2

 Gastro-intestinal parasites

10

10

2

Sarcoptes scabiei

1

5

6

1

NON-INFECTIOUS

49

84

7

170

30

Trauma

 Blunt

30

40

3

73

13

 Point (bite)

12

8

1

21

4

 Nonspecified

5

3

8

1

Amyloidosis

1

27

28

5

Neoplasia

1

2

3

1

Intoxicationg

1

1

2

Other non-infectioush

4

1

5

1

OTHER

49

63

19

167

29

 Undeterminedi

3

43

16

98

17

 Non-diagnosticj

36

13

3

52

9

 Apparently healthy

10k

7l

17

3

  1. aStone and pine marten. bPolecat, otter, weasel. c S. canis, S. dysgalagtiae sp. S. equisimilis. dMixed bacterial infection. ePasteurella sp., Klebsiella sp., Aeromonas sp., Francisella tularensis. fMycobacterium sp., Pasteurella sp. gBenzidin and arsenic intoxication. hMyocardial calcification in two badgers, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a marten and fatty liver changes in two badgers. iIncludes four badgers, 18 martens, a polecat and a stoat suspected to have viral infections and 11 badgers, nine martens and three polecats suspected to have bacterial infections. jInsufficient material quality. kOne (1972) and three (1993) badgers of unknown history, three badgers for mange monitoring (2005) and three badgers for targeted testing for Mycobacterium bovis. lMartens caught in traps without specified purpose (n = 6) or sent for mange monitoring despite the lack of visible fur changes (n = 1)