Impactos antrópicos sobre a avifauna silvestre no Nordeste do Brasil.

Abstract

The Northeast of Brazil, comprise a promising environment where lately we find strong pressures for development, with the anthropic transformations the wild birdlife is also under influence, most of the time negative. Bird diseases are still little known in relation to other animals, so the study of the clinicalepidemiological and pathological aspects of these diseases contribute to overcome the existing gap. The objective was to carry out a retrospective study to list and describe the diseases of companion birds or wild animals, as well as the related clinicalepidemiological and pathological aspects from the northeast of Brazil. For that, the death records from the Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology (LPV) of Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) were be checked. The necropsy will follow the approach applied to birds and the samples processed in a standard histopathological exam. Histochemical and immunohistochemical processing, or diagnostic tools other than anatomopathological ones, was be used to elucidate the cases regarding the etiology or provide yet another characterization of the lesions. The results were be compiled according to the etiological types or organ system affected. First findings of the retrospective search found a high mortality of parrots originating from illegal trade. These showed poor bodily conditions and high intestinal infection of cylindrical parasites. In one case, had multiple coalescent hepatic granulomas. Histopathology concluded that the granulomas were adult parasites in an erratic migration and the parasitological examination identified Ascaridia hermaphrodita, common of these birds, but in deplorable clinical status like the illegal trade, produces this serious injury. In a second group of cases, Invasive Fungal Infections (IFIs) caused or accentuated by human action were found. These actions were illegal trade in animals, exposure to contaminants, wrong diet, overpopulation and urbanization. When the etiological identification was possible, Aspergillus spp. and Zygomyces. were marked in the immunohistochemistry. Finally, birds with physical and mechanical traumas with different perspectives of human action involved were noticed. To the cases, the objective was to grade the injuries according to Brazilian Penal Code (CP) 129. Most birds with very serious grade for CP 129, were victims of deliberate human actions, such as revenge and illegal hunting. Many traumatic injuries in birds classified as mild were due to management error or interference from urbanization. It was concluded that among the variety of health problems in birds that can be influenced by human action, parasites accentuated by the illegal trade in animals, Invasive Fungal Infections involved with human proximity or interference from the urban environment, as well as physical trauma or serious manmade mechanics are examples found by this retrospective investigation of veterinary pathology laboratory files in northeastern Brazil, over a fiveyear period.