Severe tapeworm infestation and associated histopatological lesions in a Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis)

The Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis) is an endemic hummingbird of the Lesser Antilles. Very few data are available on diseases of this bird. A wild-caught female Purple-throated Carib, kept in an Italian scientific center, was presented for necropsy after death. Although gross lesions were not observed, a large number of tapeworms showing an unarmed scolex was evidenced in the small intestine. Histologically, this severe tapeworm infestation was associated with severe mucosal hyperplasia, submucosal gland proliferation and severe lymphoid follicular hyperplasia, especially in the duodenum. Consequent to the strong thickening of the intestinal mucosa, areas of intestinal sub-obstruction, where the hyperplastic mucosa filled the entire duodenal cross-section, were evidenced. Based on parasite and egg morphology and PCR analysis, the isolated unarmed tapeworm species was identified as belonging to the family Hymenolepididae. Although tapeworm infestations have been reported in hummingbirds (Widmer et al., 2013), no data on prevalence of Hymenolepididae infestations in captive or free-ranging birds are available and no associated lesions have been described in previous studies. This report is the first description of pathological lesions and death associated with tapeworm infection in an hummingbird.