Effects of Dietary Selenium on Tissue Concentrations, Pathology, Oxidative Stress, and Immune Function in Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima)

AbstractAvian cholera, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, is a common and important infectious disease of wild birds in North America. Between 2005 and 2012, avian cholera caused annual mortality of widely varying magnitudes in Northern common eiders (Somateria mollissima borealis) breeding at the largest colony in the Canadian Arctic, Mitivik Island, Nunavut. Although herd immunity, in which a large proportion of the population acquires immunity to the disease, has been suggested to play a role in epidemic fadeout, immunological studies exploring this hypothesis have been missing. We investigated the role of three potential drivers of fadeout of avian cholera in eiders, including immunity, prevalence of infection, and colony size. Each potential driver was examined in relation to the annual real-time reproductive number (Rt) of P. multocida, previously calculated for eiders at Mitivik Island. Each year, colony size was estimated and eiders were closely monitored, and evaluated for infection and serological status. We demonstrate that acquired immunity approximated using antibody titers to P. multocida in both sexes was likely a key driver for the epidemic fadeout. This study exemplifies the importance of herd immunity in influencing the dynamics and fadeout of epidemics in a wildlife population.

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Body and organ mass dynamics during remigial moult in a wing–foot-propelled diving sea duck: the Common Eider (Atlantic) (Somateria mollissima dresseri)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2015-0062 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 93 (10) ◽

pp. 755-764 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A. Viain ◽

M. Guillemette ◽

J.-P.L. Savard

Keyword(s):

Muscle Mass ◽

Body Mass ◽

Flight Muscle ◽

Somateria Mollissima ◽

Dabbling Ducks ◽

Diving Ducks ◽

Common Eiders ◽

Sea Duck ◽

Remigial Moult ◽

Atrophy Of The Heart

Body and organ dynamics, during remigial moult, have been mainly explored on geese, dabbling ducks, and foot-propelled diving ducks, but weakly on sea ducks. This study investigated the internal changes in a wing–foot-propelled sea duck to determine the adaptive strategies implemented. Forty-five male Common Eiders (Atlantic) (Somateria mollissima dresseri Sharpe, 1871), collected in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, were dissected; their body mass, muscle mass, and organ sizes were measured. We tested three hypotheses: (1) S. m. dresseri use a strategic reduction of body mass to reduce the flightlessness duration; (2) organs will exhibit changes consistent with a trade-off between function and maintenance to save and reallocate energy and proteins to feather growth; (3) S. m. dresseri would show lower flight muscle reduction than foot-propelled diving ducks. Somateria mollissima dresseri did not lose body mass, which does not support the first hypothesis. Atrophy of the heart followed by hypertrophy and opposite changes in leg muscle mass and gizzard mass are consistent with the second hypothesis. Flight muscle mass showed lower variations than in other ducks, validating the third hypothesis. We also suggest that the lipid depletion observed early in the moult could be a strategy to reduce foraging effort and minimize the risk of damaging the growing feathers.

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Transcriptome analysis reveals the mechanism of alkalinity exposure on spleen oxidative stress, inflammation and immune function of Luciobarbus capito

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety ◽

10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112748 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 225 ◽

pp. 112748

Author(s):

Xinchi Shang ◽

Longwu Geng ◽

Jian Yang ◽

Yuting Zhang ◽

Wei Xu

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Immune Function ◽

Transcriptome Analysis

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Impact of oxidative stress on the health and immune function of dairy cattle

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology ◽

10.1016/j.vetimm.2008.10.305 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 128 (1-3) ◽

pp. 104-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 276

Author(s):

Lorraine M. Sordillo ◽

Stacey L. Aitken

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Immune Function

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Understanding How Dogs Age: Longitudinal Analysis of Markers of Inflammation, Immune Function, and Oxidative Stress

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glx182 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 73 (6) ◽

pp. 720-728 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Janet E Alexander ◽

Alison Colyer ◽

Richard M Haydock ◽

Michael G Hayek ◽

JeanSoon Park

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Immune Function ◽

Longitudinal Analysis ◽

Markers Of Inflammation ◽

And Oxidative Stress

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Seroprevalence of avian influenza in Baltic common eiders (Somateria mollissima) and pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus)

Environment International ◽

10.1016/j.envint.2020.105873 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 ◽

pp. 105873 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Su Shiung Lam ◽

Rune Skjold Tjørnløv ◽

Ole Roland Therkildsen ◽

Thomas Kjær Christensen ◽

Jesper Madsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Avian Influenza ◽

Somateria Mollissima ◽

Anser Brachyrhynchus ◽

Common Eiders

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Common Eider (Somateria Mollissima) Body Condition and Parasitic Load during a Mortality Event in the Baltic Proper

Avian Biology Research ◽

10.3184/175815618x15263798903780 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 167-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Svend-Erik Garbus ◽

Peter Lyngs ◽

Jens Peter Christensen ◽

Kurt Buchmann ◽

Igor Eulaers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

High Mortality ◽

Physiological Stress ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Somateria Mollissima ◽

Common Eiders ◽

Baltic Proper ◽

Average Body Mass ◽

The Baltic ◽

Average Body

During late spring of 2007 and 2015, we observed unusually high mortality of Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) on Christiansø in the Baltic Proper. The number of dead birds (2007: 125; 2015: 110) composed 5–10% of the total colony. In 2015, we collected 15 (12 adult females, three subadult males) of the 110 recently deceased Common Eiders for detailed autopsy. The average body mass of the females was 1,040 g (920–1,160 g) which is ca 60% lower than what can be expected of healthy females during wintertime. Similarly, for the subadult males the average body mass of 1,203 g (1,070–1,300 g) comprised only 45% of what can be expected for healthy subadult males during winter. All 15 birds were thus severely emaciated and cachexic with general atrophy of muscles and internal organs. Hunger oedema, distended gall bladder, empty stomach, empty and dilated intestines and dilated cardiomyopathy were observed as well. In addition, all 15 Common Eiders were infected with high loads of the acanthocephalan parasite Polymorphus minutus. No gross morphological changes suggested toxicological, bacteriological or viral causes to the mortality. Taken together, our autopsy suggested starvation leading to secondary metabolic catabolism and eventually congestive heart failure. Five birds that were examined in 2007 showed the same symptoms. We suspect that the introduction of suboptimal feeding conditions in combination with a high parasite load over the last decade synergistically caused high physiological stress leading to population level effects manifested as high mortality.

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