The team from Hong Kong City University led by Dr Kot has established a non-invasive, more accurate and time-saving alternative to necropsies: a Virtopsy. Also known as post-mortem imaging, a virtopsy examines dead bodies with modern imaging modalities before a conventional necropsy is performed.
Since many stranded cetaceans are too decomposed for a normal necropsy, causes of death cannot be determined in the majority of cases. This does not only jeopardize our knowledge about cetacean populations and ocean health but also represent a hazard to human health when pathologies and parasites are overlooked. Under such circumstances, virtopsies provide an invaluable alternative by documenting internal and external structures that might not be accessible otherwise. And it skips the time-consuming effort of opening up the carcass.
The CityU team was the first team worldwide to implement the technique routinely. Together with the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), Ocean Park Corporation (OPC), and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong (OPCFHK), strandings are documented, pickups arranged and virtopsies conducted. So far, the imaging technique is limited to small cetaceans below 250kg and 90cm in diameter. Larger animals are usually necropsied at the stranding location itself.
In their study on "Postmortem Neuroimaging of Cetacean Brains Using Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging"1, the team further explore the advantages and pitfalls of different imagining techniques. For further implementation worldwide, they suggest a combination of techniques and the establishment of “one-stop examination center [..], integrating advanced technologies and standard examination methods” to reduce time and transportation effort.
Dr Kot concludes that "our study is a valuable reference for other stranding response programs worldwide that are interested in integrating virtopsy or other modern diagnostic modalities into their routine workflow. We hope our research could help not only the aquatic animals but also human beings to realize a "One Ocean-One Health' ideal."
An overview on the topic can be found here: World's first team to run post-mortem imaging routinely to determine causes of whale and dolphin deaths (phys.org)
1 Kot, B. C. W., Tsui, H. C. L., Chung, T., & Lau, A. P. Y. (2020). Postmortem neuroimaging of cetacean brains using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 775.
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