Detection of Mycoplasma spp. in free-living seabirds.

This study aimed to investigate the presence of Mycoplasma spp. and identify the species of mycoplasma isolates obtained from seabirds found on Brazilian coastal beaches. Tracheal and cloacal swab samples were collected from 50 seabirds rescued by three conservation and marine animal rehabilitation centers located in Brazil. The tracheal and cloacal samples were subjected to mycoplasma culture and the isolates were identified through PCR. A "Mollicutes-specific" 16S rRNA PCR reaction was employed for triage. Four species-specific PCR reactions were used to detect Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae, Mycoplasma meleagridis, or M. gallinarum. The Mollicutes positive and species negative samples were submitted do 16S rRNA sequencing. Eighteen (36%) of 50 seabirds tested positive for mycoplasma by culture. In the PCR for the genus, 28 (56%) of 50 seabirds were positive for Mycoplasma spp., with 13 (26%) detected in the trachea, one (2%) in the cloaca, and 14 (28%) in both sites. In the species-specific PCR, M. gallisepticum was detected in 17.8%, and M. meleagridis in 17.8%. Both species were detected in 14.3%. Of the isolates not characterized at species level, we obtained ten sequences and they were divided into three clusters. The first cluster was closely related to M. meleagridis, the second to M. synoviae, and the third grouped M. tully, M. gallisepticum, and M. imitans. Four and five of nine species of seabirds studied had mycoplasma detected by culture or PCR, respectively. Mycoplasmas were found in the majority of the animals studied, with the highest prevalence proportionally found in Sula leucogaster, and the lowest in Fregata magnificens. The phylogenetic analysis identified Mycoplasma spp. adapted to aquatic birds.

Aspergillosis in free-ranging Magellanic penguins.

We evaluated the mortality due to aspergillosis in free-ranging Magellanic penguins during their migration and the reproductive season. A total of 98 carcasses of penguins were collected along 370 km of coastline in Southern Brazil, between June 2017 and October 2019, and from reproductive colonies in Patagonian Argentina, in January 2019. All animals were necropsied, and only proven cases were computed. Aspergillosis was diagnosed in 2.5% of the penguins evaluated during their migration route. Our study, of the Southern coast of Brazil, is the first to demonstrate that aspergillosis is an important cause of mortality in free-ranging penguins. The implications of these findings in the One Health context are discussed.

We evaluated the mortality due to aspergillosis in free-ranging Magellanic penguins during their migration and the reproductive season. The mortality rate of penguins was 2.5% during their migration route. Our study is the first to demonstrate aspergillosis as an important cause of mortality in free-ranging penguins.

First assessment of debris pollution in the gastrointestinal content of juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) stranded on the west south Atlantic coasts.

This paper provides the first evidence of debris pollution, including plastic, in juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) found stranded on the Atlantic coast of southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Macro-, meso- and microparticles of anthropogenic origin were observed in 100 % of the studied birds, with debris abundance ranging between 33 and 200 items/bird. Microparticles represented 91 % of the total debris and 97 % of them were fibers. Black particles were the most abundant (30 %), followed by transparent (26 %), blue (14 %), yellow (10.3 %), and red (10 %). Infrared and Raman spectroscopy identified 62.7 % of the total particles as plastics, with polypropylene (27.8 %) and polyester (21.6 %) being the most abundant polymers. Semi-synthetic cellulosic fibers, metallic particles, and pigments were also found. The presence of metallic microparticles was suggested for the first time in penguins. Stranded juvenile Magellanic penguins are proposed as promising bioindicators of plastic pollution in the South Atlantic.

Morphology and Morphometry of the Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) Trachea / Morfologia e morfometria da traqueia do pinguim-de-Magalhães (Spheniscus magellanicus)

Objective: This work aimed to describe the trachea of the Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) through descriptive and morphometric approaches. Methods: ten adult male Spheniscus magellanicus were used, which were collected, fixed, and kept immersed in an aqueous solution of 10% formaldehyde. Results: the trachea of the penguin began caudally from the cricoid cartilage of the larynx, represented by 121.3±5.65 cartilaginous rings joined together, which extended to the syrinx (19.75±0.70 cm). Considering its five segments (I-V), the number of tracheal rings decreased in a cranio-caudal direction. The medial tracheal septum, which started caudally from the cricoid cartilage of the larynx, was approximately 2±0.08 cm and was formed by approximately 6.75±0.25 rings. The dimensions of the lumen of the trachea decreased cranio-caudally, with a statistical difference between segment I and the others (II to V). The syrinx of the tracheobronchial type presented 7.52±0.65 rings. Conclusions: these data will contribute to the understanding of the anatomy of this species, as well as to the diagnosis and treatment of possible tracheal pathologies found in it.

Objetivo: o objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever a traqueia do pinguim-de-Magalhães (Spheniscus magellanicus), por meio de abordagens descritivas e mofométricas. Metodologia: foram utilizados dez Spheniscus magellanicus, adultos, machos que foram após coletas, fixados e mantidos imersos em solução aquosa, a 10% de formaldeído. Resultados: a traqueia do pinguim iniciou-se, caudalmente, a cartilagem cricoide da laringe, representada por 121,3±5,65 anéis cartilaginosos unidos entre si, que se estenderam até as siringes (19,75±0,70 cm). Considerando seus cinco segmentos (I-V), o número de anéis traqueais diminuiu seu número em sentido craniocaudal. O septo traqueal medial teve início caudalmente a cartilagem cricoide da laringe, aproximadamente 2±0,08 cm, e foi formado por, aproximadamente, 6,75±0,25 anéis. As dimensões do lúmen da traqueia diminuíram craniocaudalmente, com diferença estatística entre o segmento I e os outros (II a V). As siringes, do tipo traqueobronquiais, apresentaram 7,52±0,65 anéis. Conclusões: esses dados contribuirão para o entendimento da anatomia dessa espécie, bem como para o diagnóstico e tratamento de possíveis patologias traqueais nela encontradas.

The Role of Gulls as Reservoirs of Antibiotic Resistance in Aquatic Environments: A Scoping Review.

The role of wildlife with long-range dispersal such as gulls in the global dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across natural and anthropogenic aquatic environments remains poorly understood. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been detected in resident and migratory gulls worldwide for more than a decade, suggesting gulls as either sentinels of AMR pollution from anthropogenic sources or independent reservoirs that could maintain and disperse AMR across aquatic environments. However, confirming either of these roles remains challenging and incomplete. In this review, we present current knowledge on the geographic regions where AMR has been detected in gulls, the molecular characterization of resistance genes, and the evidence supporting the capacity of gulls to disperse AMR across regions or countries. We identify several limitations of current research to assess the role of gulls in the spread of AMR including most studies not identifying the source of AMR, few studies comparing bacteria isolated in gulls with other wild or domestic species, and almost no study performing longitudinal sampling over a large period of time to assess the maintenance and dispersion of AMR by gulls within and across regions. We suggest future research required to confirm the role of gulls in the global dispersion of AMR including the standardization of sampling protocols, longitudinal sampling using advanced satellite tracking, and whole-genome sequencing typing. Finally, we discuss the public health implications of the spread of AMR by gulls and potential solutions to limit its spread in aquatic environments.

Pelagic seabird density and vulnerability in the Gulf of Mexico to oiling from the Deepwater Horizon/MC-252 spill.

Using ship-based surveys, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees assessed the external oiling of offshore and pelagic marine birds inhabiting the northern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) in the year following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH spill). Study objectives were to (1) collect data on pelagic seabirds that were visibly oiled, (2) collect data to estimate abundance of seabirds in offshore and pelagic waters, and 3) document the location and condition of any bird carcasses encountered. Methods employed included strip line transects and station point counts. Surveys were conducted within a study area bound by the Texas-Mexico border and the Dry Tortugas of Florida to the south, and the nearshore coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. A total of 5665 strip line transects and 386 station point-counts of variable duration were collected during the study. More than 23,000 individual seabirds comprising 45 estuarine, coastal, offshore, and pelagic species were tallied. Average daily abundance of seabirds detected varied from a low of approximately 7 birds/day in November 2010 along regions of the mid- and outer continental shelf to a high of more than 580 birds/day in June 2011 within the near-shore, coastal waters of the northern Gulf.

Incidence of marine debris in seabirds feeding at different water depths.

Marine debris such as plastic fragments and fishing gears are accumulating in the ocean at alarming rates. This study assesses the incidence of debris in the gastrointestinal tracts of seabirds feeding at different depths and found stranded along the Brazilian coast in the period 2010-2013. More than half (55%) of the species analysed, corresponding to 16% of the total number of individuals, presented plastic particles in their gastrointestinal tracts. The incidence of debris was higher in birds feeding predominantly at intermediate (3-6m) and deep (20-100m) waters than those feeding at surface (<2m). These results suggest that studying the presence of debris in organisms mainly feeding at the ocean surface provides a limited view about the risks that this form of pollution has on marine life and highlight the ubiquitous and three-dimensional distribution of plastic in the oceans.

(210)Polonium and (210)lead content of marine birds from Southeastern Brazil.

In this study, we report the (210)Po and (210)Pb concentrations of bone, muscle and liver samples that were obtained from twelve different marine bird species stranded on beaches in the central-north region of Rio de Janeiro State. Both radionuclides were highly concentrated in the liver samples; however, the lowest mean (210)Po/(210)Pb activity ratio (1.3) was observed in bones compared with liver and muscle (16.8 and 13.8, respectively). Among the species that were studied, Fregata magnificens, with a diet based exclusively on fish, had the lowest (210)Pb and (210)Po concentrations and the lowest (210)Po/(210)Pb activity ratio. The (210)Po concentrations in Puffinus spp. liver samples followed a log-normal distribution, with a geometric mean of 300 Bq kg(-1)wet weight. Only two references pertaining to (210)Po in marine birds were found in a Web of Science search of the literature, and each study reported a different concentration value. The values determined in this experiment are consistent with those in one of the previous studies, which also included one of the species studied in this work. No values for (210)Pb in marine birds have been published previously.