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In late December 2023, it was announced that a polar bear had died from the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in Alaska. The polar bear was found dead in October near Utqiagvik in the North Slope region. This is the first polar bear reported to have died from bird flu. As the chances of finding a dead polar

At DWHC, we regularly receive photos from hunters who discover unusual abnormalities during gutting. Often, these are organs with unusual spots and/or lumps. It’s almost never possible to determine the nature of the disease based solely on a photo. However, in certain cases, it’s not an

In September 2023, bluetongue virus (BTV, serotype 3) was detected in sheep. Bluetongue is a viral disease that primarily affects sheep and cattle, but other ruminants such as deer can also be infected. The virus is transmitted by infected midges.

Avian influenza is circulating again among wild birds in the Netherlands. In November, the virus was detected in birds in the provinces of Gelderland, Friesland, Groningen, and Utrecht.

For the first time in the Netherlands, tularemia has been confirmed in a wild red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). The squirrel was found sick in early October 2023 in the municipality of Bunnik, province of Utrecht, and died shortly thereafter. The squirrel was collected by the DWHC for post-mortem investigation.

In October, a dead beaver was found in the municipality of Maashorst, North-Brabant. The animal had settled there about a year ago. The beaver was collected by the DWHC for post-mortem investigation.

Joint report from the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Erasmus MC, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, and Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, with thanks to the Royal Dutch Hunters’ Association (KNJV), Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, and Waternet.

The Guardian reported on Thursday, October 5, that at least 1,000 birds had collided with a Chicago conference center during their southbound migration (at least 1,000 birds died from colliding with one

Dead white stork. Photo: Ferry Brands On 16 July 2023, an almost fully fledged white stork (Ciconia ciconia) was found under its nest in Megen, Noord-Brabant. Half an hour before the young was practising wing flapping. The stork was collected by the DWHC in Utrecht to investigate the cause of death.

At the end of June 2023, a roebuck in the province of Limburg was put out of its misery and collected for research by the DWHC in Utrecht. The roebuck had swollen front legs, had difficulty standing, did not flee when approached and was shaking a little with his head (tremor).