[The "diseased" or "dead" guillemots (Uria aalge), three-toed gulls (Rissa tridactyla), silver gulls (Larus argentatus) and laughing gulls (Larus ridibundus) found in the area of the German Bay, 1982-1985].

Between 1982 and 1985 the cadavers of 50 Guillemots (Uria aalge), 41 Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), 26 Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) and 34 Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus) were examined pathological, bacteriological and virological. The probable cause of death was established. Parasitosis were particularly prevalent in Herring Gulls (49%), where the main infection--as in Black-headed Gulls--was with Cestoides. In Kittiwakes and Guillemots mainly Spiruroideae were recorded. The commonest bacterium isolated in organs and intestinal tract was Escherichia coli, followed by Aeromonas hydrophila and Clostridium perfringens. Salmonella were found in the organs of 5% and in the intestinal tract of 3% of the birds. The species of Salmonella most frequently isolated was Salmonella typhimurium varieties copenhagen. Also recorded were Yersinia intermedia Serovar 0:17 (1x), Pseudomonas spp. (2x), bacteria of the Haemophilus-Pasteurella-Actinobacillus group (1x), Pasteurella multocida (2x), Moraxella septicaemiae (1x), Campylobacter spec. (1x), Mycoplasma spec. (6x), DNase positive Staphylococcus spec. (4x) and Streptococcus spec. (6x). Less in evidence among the birds examined were fungus diseases with Aspergillus spec. (4x) and Blastomyces spec. (4x). As for viruses one Guillemot was found to have an Adenovirus and another one to have a Paramyxovirus. From one of the Herring Gulls there also was isolated a Paramyxovirus, from a second one to a Reovirus. Three other species isolated have get to be identified. The chief cause of sickness and death in the Guillemots was oil-contamination. The majority of the examined Kittiwakes and Herring Gulls were victims of pathogenic agents. Many of the Black-headed Gulls died through traumata as gunshots or road traffic etc. In order to establish the causes of sickness and death in seabirds and to ascertain the importance of the various species as possible carriers of infectious diseases, a systematic series of investigation will be necessary. Without this it will not be possible to assess their epidemiological relevance for other wild birds, domestic poultry and humans.