Ceccherelli Renato, Ebani Valentina Virginia, Pesaro Stefano, Rossi Giacomo, Perrucci Stefania
Aquatic Bird Recovery Center (CRUMA)-Italian league for bird protection (LIPU) Volunteer organization (ODV), Via Pasubio 3/bis, 43122 Parma, Italy.
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
Vet Sci. 2025 Apr 27;12(5):411. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12050411.
is a pentastomid parasitising the respiratory system of larids and skuas, the pathological significance of which is still poorly understood. In this study, pentastomes found in the interclavicular air sac of a deceased and necropsied yellow-legged gull () were identified by parasitological and molecular methods and associated gross and histopathological lesions were evaluated. After morphological evaluation and molecular characterisation, the species was identified. This is the first report of infecting in Italy. Gross pathology showed generalised aerosacculitis, parabronchial edema, and enlargement of the heart, liver, and spleen. The systemic lesions found at histopathological examination were indicative of chronic cardiocirculatory failure, which led to the death of the gull. Moreover, inflammation was present throughout the lungs and air sacs in the form of some granulomas and diffuse small nodular aggregates rich in lymphocytes. The remnants of a parasite were observed within a granulomatous lesion in the lung, suggesting a primary host response to the parasite. These latter findings may suggest that the migration of was the cause of the pathological granulomatous pictures in the examined yellow-legged gull.
