Ludes-Wehrmeister E, Wohlsein P, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Ewers C, Woelfing B, Lehnert K, Siebert U
Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
Dis Aquat Organ. 2020 Mar 26;138:215-225. doi: 10.3354/dao03455.
Intestinal displacements including volvulus, torsion and invagination have been reported in various terrestrial and marine mammals. We conducted pathological investigations on 157 seals that had either stranded on the coasts of the North or Baltic Sea between 1996 and 2015 (115 harbour seals, >19 mo old; 21 grey seals, >13 mo old) or died while in human care (18 harbour seals, >19 mo old; 3 grey seals, >13 mo old). Intestinal displacements were found in 23% of the examined free-living harbour seals, in 5% of the stranded grey seals and in 17% of the harbour seals in human care. Intestinal volvulus, found in 24 cases, was characterized by twisting of the intestine along the mesenteric axis (180-540°) resulting in vascular obstruction and haemorrhagic infarction. In harbour seals, the sex ratio of individuals suffering from volvulus tended to be biased towards females during April to June, suggesting an elevated risk for pregnant females around birth time. Invagination was detected in 11 cases, 5 of which suffered from additional volvulus. Pathological findings associated with intestinal volvulus and invagination were sero-haemorrhagic effusions in the abdominal cavity. Enteritis, parasitic infection with gastric nematodes and intestinal acanthocephalans and bacterial infection with predominantly Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli were observed in most of the affected animals. In total, 30 investigated harbour and grey seals suffered from intestinal displacements. Pregnant females seemed to be more vulnerable around birth time. Causes of intestinal displacements remain undetermined, but are likely multifactorial.
在各种陆生和海洋哺乳动物中均有肠道移位的报道，包括肠扭转、肠绞窄和肠套叠。我们对1996年至2015年间在北海或波罗的海沿岸搁浅的157只海豹（115只斑海豹，年龄大于19个月；21只灰海豹，年龄大于13个月）或在人工饲养期间死亡的海豹（18只斑海豹，年龄大于19个月；3只灰海豹，年龄大于13个月）进行了病理调查。在23%的受检野生斑海豹、5%的搁浅灰海豹和17%的人工饲养斑海豹中发现了肠道移位。在24例中发现了肠扭转，其特征是肠管沿肠系膜轴扭转（180°-540°），导致血管阻塞和出血性梗死。在斑海豹中，4月至6月期间患肠扭转的个体性别比例倾向于女性，这表明在出生前后怀孕雌性的风险增加。在11例中检测到肠套叠，其中5例还伴有肠扭转。与肠扭转和肠套叠相关的病理发现是腹腔内浆液性出血性积液。在大多数受影响的动物中观察到肠炎、胃线虫和肠道棘头虫的寄生虫感染以及主要由产气荚膜梭菌和大肠杆菌引起的细菌感染。总共30只受调查的斑海豹和灰海豹患有肠道移位。怀孕雌性在出生前后似乎更容易受到影响。肠道移位的原因尚不确定，但可能是多因素的。
