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Ocean pollution by plastics is a growing concern for marine wildlife conservation, and seabirds are particularly prone to ingest plastics. We report baseline information on plastic ingestion in 17 procellariiform species along the coast of Brazil and Argentina. Through a collaborative regional effort we found plastic items in 30.2 % of seabird carcasses examined (n = 192), comprised predominantly by mesoplastics (5-25 mm), user plastics, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyethylene. Considering the most representative source-site cohorts, the frequency of occurrence of plastic items varied significantly between sampling site and source of carcasses. Ingestion was highest in petrels and shearwaters. Immature birds ingested the largest number (and total mass) of plastic items followed by chicks and adults. Long-term programs applying standardized sampling protocols are needed to detect spatiotemporal patterns of plastic ingestion across species, and assess the potential effectiveness of remediation actions. Further studies are necessary to assess currently unrecognized health effects of plastic ingestion., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel avipoxvirus caused diphtheritic lesions in the oesophagus of five and in the bronchioli of four Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) and also cutaneous lesions in eight Magellanic penguins housed in outdoor enclosures in a Rehabilitation Centre at Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. At the same time, another avipoxvirus strain caused cutaneous lesions in three Magellanic penguins at a geographically distinct Rehabilitation Centre localized at Vila Velha, Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Diagnosis was based on clinical signs, histopathology and use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Clinical signs in the penguins included cutaneous papules and nodules around eyelids and beaks, depression and restriction in weight gain. The most common gross lesions were severely congested and haemorrhagic lungs, splenomegaly and cardiomegaly. Histological examination revealed Bollinger inclusion bodies in cutaneous lesions, mild to severe bronchopneumonia, moderate periportal lymphocytic hepatitis, splenic lymphopenia and lymphocytolysis. Other frequent findings included necrotizing splenitis, enteritis, oesophagitis, dermatitis and airsacculitis. Cytoplasmic inclusion bodies were seen within oesophageal epithelial cells in five birds and in epithelial cells of the bronchioli in four penguins. DNA from all samples was amplified from skin tissue by PCR using P4b-targeting primers already described in the literature for avipoxvirus. The sequences showed two different virus strains belonging to the genus Avipoxvirus of the Chordopoxvirinae subfamily, one being divergent from the penguinpox and avipoxviruses already described in Magellanic penguins in Patagonia, but segregating within a clade of canarypox-like viruses implicated in diphtheritic and respiratory disease.