Pathology of enteric infections induced by the acanthocephalanProfilicollis chasmagnathiin Olrog's gull,Larus atlanticus, from Argentina

Abstract

Acanthocephalans can be pathogenic helminths of marine birds. Every year during the breeding season, there is variable mortality among prefledged chicks from the largest known Olrog's gull (Larus atlanticus) colony. Mortality has been associated with infection by the acanthocephalan Profilicollis chasmagnathi. Our aim was to study the role of chicks' size as a risk factor for intensity of infection and severe pathology, and to expand upon previous pathological findings reported in acanthocephalan-infected chicks. Size of the chick was associated with intensity of infection and number of intestinal perforations, which increased by 6.9% and 4.1%, respectively, for each millimetre increment in chick size. Infection was associated with inflammatory enteritis and granulomatous peritonitis. Complete intestinal perforations were observed in 85% and 97.3% of the studied chicks in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and they were observed very early during the post-hatching period. Our results show: (1) the presence of advanced pathology associated with acanthocephalan infections in chicks, beginning very early in the post-hatching period; and (2) significant increases in the intensity of infection and the associated pathology as a function of size of chicks, in dead chicks during this period.

Morphological, molecular and histopathological characterization of Plagiorhynchus crassicollis (Acanthocephala: Plagiorhynchidae) from a neotropical shorebird in Patagonia, Argentina

“…The pathological findings presented here agree with other descriptions made in charadriiform birds, with necrotizing transmural lymphocytic and granulomatous inflammation, serositis and peritonitis (Taraschewski, 2000;La Sala et al, 2011;Fenton et al, 2018). Taraschewski (2000) observed that, the pathogenicity of acanthocephalans is mainly caused by: (1) density of worms and (2) depth of parasite penetration into the host tissues.…”

Pan-American marine coastal distribution of the acanthocephalanProfilicollis altmanibased on morphometric and phylogenetic analyses of cystacanths from the mole crabEmerita brasiliensis

“…Profilicollis chasmagnathi uses crabs from estuarine environments as intermediate hosts (Holcman-Spector et al ., 1977; Martorelli, 1989; La Sala et al ., 2012) and the gulls L. atlanticus and L. dominicanus as definitive hosts (e.g. Díaz et al ., 2011; La Sala et al ., 2013). Profilicollis altmani has the mole crab E. brasiliensis , which inhabits sandy beaches, as intermediate host.…”

“…This latter species has a large bi-oceanic distribution and has been recorded along the Pacific coast of North America (California) and South America (Chile) and along the Atlantic coast of North America (Rhode Island, North Carolina) and the Gulf of Mexico (Florida and Mississippi). Meanwhile, for the South American Atlantic coast the thorny-headed worm P. chasmagnathi has been cited with the crab species Neohelice granulata and Cyrtograpsus angulatus as intermediate hosts (Holcman-Spector et al ., 1977; Alda et al ., 2011; La Sala et al ., 2012) and Larus atlanticus and L. dominicanus as definitive hosts (Diaz et al , 2011; La Sala et al ., 2013). There is a mention of cystacanths of P. altmani infecting Emerita brasiliensis and Calidris canutus in Rio, southern Brazil (Buehler et al ., 2010).…”

The phylogeny and life cycle of two species ofProfilicollis(Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) in marine hosts off the Pacific coast of Chile

“…Although the evolution of parasites and that of hosts are not independent of each other, parasites can evolve far more rapidly than hosts (Kochin et al ., 2010). As a consequence, parasites can switch hosts in a given environment (Kochin et al ., 2010), and a single parasite species can have multiple intermediate and definitive host species (Near, 2002; Mayer et al ., 2003; Royal et al ., 2004; La Sala & Martorelli, 2007; Steinauer et al ., 2007; Kochin et al ., 2010; La Sala et al ., 2013).…”