California case report links A. nymphii to severe disease in pigeon

A case report in Animals describes what appears to be an unusual host jump for Ascaridia nymphii, a roundworm first described in 2015 from a cockatiel in Japan. The parasite was identified in a 4-year-old female American Show Racer pigeon submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System’s Turlock branch for necropsy, where investigators found heavy worm burdens in the proventriculus, gizzard, and duodenum, along with evidence of hepatic migration. The authors frame it as an accidental infection in a domestic pigeon, expanding the known host range of A. nymphii beyond psittacine birds and adding a California diagnostic case to the literature. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the report is a reminder that severe helminth burdens in pigeons and other companion birds may not always involve the usual suspects, and that ascarids can do more than cause vague weight loss or poor thrift. Merck Veterinary Manual notes that heavy Ascaridia infections can obstruct the intestinal tract, and related species have been reported to migrate through the portal system into the liver. Older literature also documents liver lesions in pigeons associated with Ascaridia infection, which helps put the California findings in clinical context. (merckvetmanual.com)

What to watch: Watch for follow-up reports on whether A. nymphii is truly rare in pigeons, or simply underrecognized without molecular confirmation. (jcoagri.uobaghdad.edu.iq)