Vet Q. 2023 Oct 23:1-17. doi: 10.1080/01652176.2023.2273887. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
The lifespan of the European hare (Lepus europaeus P.) is affected by a number of negative factors, including environmental pollutants. In this paper, the individual and joint influence of age and habitat (elevation and distance from the thermal power plant – TPP) on pathomorphological (macroscopic and microscopic) findings of hares shot during three hunting seasons was investigated. Pathomorphological changes were found in 95.12% of hares, most frequently in liver, lungs and kidneys. In hares up to 1 year of age, the changes were predominant in the lungs, and in older hares, in the kidneys. Degenerative changes in kidneys and liver and inflammatory changes in kidneys and lungs were considered important most in discussing the influence of chemical pollution. The proximity of TPP significantly influenced the type of changes found in the liver. A significant joint effect of age and elevation on the type of changes in the lungs of adult hares and on the heart of young hares was found. Elevation and distance from TPP had a significant joint effect on the occurrence of changes in the lungs, intestines, and heart in hares from the field farther from TPP. The obtained results indicate that the hares in our study were highly exposed to chemical pollutants that may affect their immunity, and lifespan.
PMID:37869876 | DOI:10.1080/01652176.2023.2273887
