Hematological and Biochemical Parameters of the Helminth-Infested Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla

Abstract

The hematological and biochemical parameters of the kittiwake Rissa tridactyla infested by helminths Alcataenia larina, Tetrabothrius erostris, and Paracuaria adunca were analyzed and compared to those of infestation-free birds. Both monoinvasions and invasions by multiple parasites were observed. Changes indicative of tissue damage and inflammatory processes in the host organism were observed in the birds with P. adunca and A. larina monoinvasions. Biochemical parameter changes in P. adunca- or T. erostris-infested birds were apparently related to competition for nutrients between the parasites and the host and to digestive function impairment in the birds. The hematological index values showed that the stress related to parasite invasion was the strongest in kittiwake individuals infected by three parasitic worm species (P. adunca, T. erostris, and A. larina) at the same time.