Visceral gout in coastal and oceanic seabirds in Paraná, Southern of Brazil
Nóbrega, Daniela Farias daDomiciano, Isabela GuarnierDomit, CamilaBracarense, Ana Paula Frederico Rodrigues Loureiro
Background: Owing to the abundance, wide distribution, long life cycles and higher positions in the trophic levels, seabirds are considered sentinels of hazards and negative anthropogenic impacts to marine ecosystems. Gout is a common disease affecting birds, but also occurs in other taxa, including mammals and reptiles. The aim of this study was to elucidate the occurrence and pathological findings of gout cases in different species of seabirds, including biological and ecological factors that may contribute to disease. Cases: The urate crystals were observed in ten seabirds stranded, classified in eight species: four oceanic species two Puffinus puffinus, one Macronectis giganteus, one Thalassarche melanophris, one Calonectris sp. and four coastal species - one Fregata magnifiscens, two Sula leucogaster, one Phalacrocorax brasilianus and one Rynchops niger. A total of seven animals were stranded alive and three were found dead; four animals were male and six were female; six were juveniles and four were mature. The nutritional condition was cachectic in four animals, poor in five and fair in one. The main clinical sign in alive animals was dehydration (7/7; 100%). The treatment consisted of standard support including fluid therapy and temperature stabilization; in addition, vitamins, amino acids, minerals and antibiotics (sulfonamide or enrofloxacin) were given, but the animals died between 1 and 13 days after rehabilitation entrance. Gout was associated with cachectic condition and autumn stranding (in comparison with summer stranding). The main macroscopic findings were observed in the kidneys, which were whitish and enlarged and all had microscopic evidence of multifocal, mild to marked renal crystal urate deposition. In two cases, urates deposition were observed (AU)
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