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RESPIRATORY ACARIASIS CAUSED BY STERNOSTOMA TRACHEACOLUM -

HISTOPATHOLOGY IN GOULDIAN FINCHES (CHLOEBIA GOULDIAE) AND
CANARIES (SERINUS C. CANARIUS L.)

Conference Paper · January 1976

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VERHANDLUNGSBERICHT DES XVIII INTERNATIONALEN SYMPOSIUMS
ÜBER DIE ERKRANKUNGEN DER ZOOTRIERE

77 -
From the Special Animal Department of the Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, State University, Utrecht

RESPIRATORY ACARIASIS CAUSED BY STERNOSTOMA TRACHEACOLUM -

HISTOPATHOLOGY IN GOULDIAN FINCHES (CHLOEBIA GOULDIAE) AND
CANARIES (SERINUS C. CANARIUS L.)

By P. Z w a r t, C. V r o e g e, G. H. A. B o r s t, G. D o r r e s t e i n and
F. G. P o e l m a

Introduction
Sternostoma tracheacolum, a pathogenic mite inhabiting the air
passages, has first been described in canaries by L a w r e n c e (1948)
from South Africa. Its occurence in Gouldian finches is mentioned in
South Africa in 1959 by C u m m i n g
The Gouldian finch originates from the northern part of the Australian
continent, and was named by Gould Amadina Gouldiae in honor of his
wife, to express his thankfulness for the voyages made together and
her help in depicting marvellously the creatures of nature
(M a r k , 1965).
In Australia, the occurrence of St. tracheacolum in Gouldian finches was
reported by M u r r a y (1966).
A compilation of the world-wide distribution of St. tracheacolum in
domesticated and wild birds is given by F a i n and H y l a n d (1962). In
addition, its ocourence has been reported in Germany (G e y e r, 1961),
the Netherlands ( Z w a r t , 1962), and France ( J o l i v e t , 1975).
Pathologic changes caused by the mite are sparcely related and the
descriptions are restricted to terms as pneumonia, tracheitis and
aerocystitis ( F a i n and H y l a n d 1962; T o r r e s et al.,(1951); S t
e p h a n et al., 1950; S m i t h , 1973).
Material and methods:
From different Dutch aviaries eight Gouldian finches (Chloebia gouldiae)
and three canaries (Serinus canarius) were found to be infected with St.
tracheacolum.
The lungs, traohea and parts of air sacs were fixed in 10 per-cent
neutral formalin. Paraffin slides were prepared in the usual way and
stained with hemalum-eosin, the Elastica-Weigert-van Gieson, reticulin
and P.A.S. techniques.

Results:
On post-mortem examination mites were found in the lumen of the
traohea, syrinx, main bronohus, parabronchi, and air sacs. In the
trachea, syrinx, and air sacs some mucoid material was accumulated
around each mite. The walls of the air sacs were slightly opaque. In one
canary the air passages were covered by a yellowish liquid exudate.
Typical histopathologic changes in the presence of mites were observed
in the parabronchi of the lungs. Mites were situated on cushions of
inflammatory cells. In direct contact with the mites were giant cells,
covering a plug of macrophages which filled the lumen of one or two
atria. Some additional giant cells could be present amidst the
macrophages.
the pre-existing reticulin basement of the involved atrial walls was
preserved quite well. The plug of macrophages often extended into the
respiratory tissue, leading to the development of wedge-shaped areas,
free of air and with only few erythrocytes.
On several occasions, legs of the mites were seen to extend into the
depth of the atria. Wear these foci, over some distance, the atria often
demonstrated proliferation of epithelium. The flat epithelial cells
increased in number and became cubic to cylindrical, their nuclei being
situated on alternating heights. The walls of the affected atria were
thickened by edema.
Less characteristic, though not rarely encountered features were mites
surrounded by  

78 -
serous exudate, intermingled with some heterophilic leucocytes, a few
lymphocytes and occasionally some macrophages. The atria of such
parasitised parabronchi also revealed epithelial proliferation.
Dead mites could be recognized by the absence o~ their nuclei. They
were completely surrounded by foreign body giant ceIIs. Some intact
mites were found on locations revealing no pathologic changes. These
had probably migrated, possibly after the death of the host.
Mites could be found also in the main bronchus and secondary bronchi.
They we re often surrounded by mucus, erythrocytes, and heterophilic
leucocytes. Around other mites changes comparable to the typical
alterations in the parabronchi could be observed. The mites wh1~h we
re situated on giant cells and macrophages interm1ngled in some cases
with heterophi11c leucocytes and with lymphocytes. Occasionally, the
epithelial lining of the main bronchus was interrupted, the ulcus being
filled by fibro-angioblastic tissue, covered by inflammatory cells and
detritus. Hypertrophy of bronchial musculature was evident, espec1ally
in cases where 1nfiltration of lymphocytes had occurred in the
submucosa and around the muscular wall. In a canary and in two
Gouldian finches areas of lymphoid tissue were visible.
In the syrinx and trachea mites were embedded in mucus, interspersed
with heterophils, lymphocytes and macrophages. On places where mites
were situated, the epithelial cells were flattened and irregular. In one
canary the claws of two legs were observed underneath the altered
epithelium, surrounded by some necrosis and increased compact
connective tissue. In the other cases, increase of connective tissue, and
invasion of inflammatory cells was also visible under the damaged
epithelium. Proliferation of epithelium was evident on the borderline of
normal epithelium. The air sac walls revealed local interruptions of the
epithelial lining, filled with prominences of macrophages, eventually
covered by foreign body giant celIs. The walls were infiltrated with
lymphocytes and heterophils.
In canary, as mentioned separately, the alterations caused by St.
sternostoma were complicated by another disease which led to damage
of blood vessels and product ion of large amounts of serous exudate. In
this case the cellular inflammatory reaction in the air sacs was much
more pronounced. In one Gouldian finch a mite was found to have
ingested intact avian erythrocytes.
Disoussion:

St. sternostoma was encountered in the air passages only and not in
lung tissue, as suggested by S t e p h a n et al. (1950). The lesions
caused by St. sternostoma in the Gouldian finches and the canaries
were especially characterised by focal productive inflammatory reaction
in the atria and by proliferation of epithelial cells of the neighbouring
atria. Other lesions were either more acute ore more chronic in
character. This variability in acute to chronic St. sternostoma-lesions
was also mentioned by
S t e p h a n et al. (1950) who described acute tracheitis and chronic
aerocystitis in canaries. The lesions in St. sternostoma infections are
distinctly different from these caused by Cytodites nudus, the air sac
mite of fowl. In C. nudus infections L i n d t and K u t z e r (1965)
found granulomatous pneumonia affecting larger areas of lung tissue. K
a l i n e r (1970) described lesions of C. nudus, probably of an earlier
date. In these cases a central mass of necrosis was surrounded by giant
cells and a capsule
of connective tissue.
A remarkable feature in St. tracheacolum infections was the occurence
of alterations and lesions, especially in the atria. Supposedly, the mites
cause damage with their claws, while extending their legs in the atria to
find a holdfast. Another possibility could be the existence of special
defensive properties of the atrial wall. This is supported by the
observation of F e r n a n d o et al. (1971) according to which the
atrial walls
- 79 -
and, particularly, their lumina exhibited inflammatory reactions, such as
inflltrations of heterophils and exudation of giant cells, in the process of
migration of larvae of Syngamus trachea through the lung. The
observation that dead mites cause only restricted local reaction is in
agreement with a statement of S t e p h a n et al. (1950) according to
which "dead mites became encapsulated as a result of mild chronic
inflammation".
Summary:
Respiratory Acariasis caused by Sternostoma tracheacolum -
histopathology in Gouldian finches (Chloebia gouldiae) and Canaries
(Serinus c. canarius L.)
The histopathological findings recorded from eight Gouldian finches and
three canaries with spontaneous infection by Sternostoma
tracheacolum are described in this paper. The lung lesions were
characterised by strictly localised productive inflammations in the atria,
in direct contact with mites, often combined with hypertrophy and
proliferation of epithelial cells of neighbouring atria.

Zusammenfassung:
Lungenacariasis durch Sternostoma tracheacolum - Histopathologie bei
Gouldamadinen und Kanarienvögeln.
Es werden die histopathologischen Befunde einer Infektion mit
Sternostoma tracheacolum bei acht Gouldamadinen und drei
Kanarienvögeln beschrieben. Spezifische Lungenveränderungen traten in
den Atrien im direkten Kontakt mit den Milben auf. Sie zelgten sich als
produktive Entzündung, oft gemeinsam mit einer Hypertrophie und
Proliferation des Epithels benachbarter Atrien.

Résumé:
Alterations pulmonaires avec Sternostoma tracheacolum -
histopathologie chez 8 diamant de Gould et 3 canaries.
Chez 8 diamant de Gould et 3 canaries infecté spontanément avec
Sternostoma tracheacolum l'histopathologie est décrit. Alterations
pulmonaires specifques étaient localisé dans des atriens parabronchiales
en contact directe avec les acariens. ils existent d'une inflammation
productive souvent en combination avec réaction hypertrophiante et
proliferative de l'epithelium de atriens prochaines.

Literature:
CUMMING, R. B. (1959): Respiratory acarias1s of canaries and Gouldian
finches. J. S. Afr.
Vet. Med. Ass. 30, 31-32.
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and pathogenesis of Syngamus trachea (Montagu, 1811) Chapin, 1925
in pheasants. J. Paras1to1. 57, 107-116.
+
>>

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GEYER, S. (1961): Klinische und therapeutische Erfahrungen
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Address of authors: Dr. P. Z w a r t ,
Afd. Ziektekunde Bijzondere Dieren Biltstraat 172
Utrecht (Niederlande)

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