The City has received a report from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine on the results of the necropsy for the swan from Coggshall Park which passed on August 4, 2019. A necropsy is an autopsy for domestic and wild animal life. To see the full report please click here.
The swan was examined on August 5, 2019 at 2:00 PM by qualified staff at the Foster Hospital for Small Animals, a division of the Tufts Cummings School. The report found evidence that the swan passed of peracute sepsis, which is a overwhelming infection in the body, which can result in inflammation. The infection in this case was found to be a bacterial infection of Pasteurella Multocida Septicemia.
Pasteurella Multocida Septicemia is a common bacteria which is frequently found in birds and mammals, but does not typically cause an issue. According to the Veterinarian, the bacterial infection may have taken hold due to a previous illness or to the stress of moving. Tufts could not provide a timeline how or when the infection began.
