Experimental Histomoniasis in the Guinea Fowl, <i>Numida meleagris</i>*

Chute, Anne M.; Lund, Everett E.

doi:10.1111/j.1550-7408.1972.tb03548.x

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Outbreaks of histomoniasis can be related to alternative methods of rearing, in addition to the restricted use of medications. In the present study, the chickens lived along with ducks, geese, and guinea fowl, which are also susceptible to Histomonas meleagridis infection (Chute & Lund 1972, Lund et al 1974 and to the cecal infection with the usually subclinical vector nematode Heterakis gallinarum (Schwarz et al 2011). Necrotic typhlitis was found in two chickens in the present study, which has been described generally occurring concomitant with hepatitis (Hauck et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Hepatic changes in Gallus gallus domesticus in Brazil

et al. 2022

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The occurrence and the frequency of hepatic changes in chickens, including broiler (BC), layer (LC) and backyard chickens (BYC) were investigated. The retrospective and prospective study (2006-2021) was conducted with a total of 300 cases of liver disorders. Industrial poultry (BC and LC) were frequently affected (88%) and noninfectious changes were the most diagnosed (69%). Considering etiology or conditions, the hepatic changes were classified as follows: degenerative changes (42%), bacterial (28%), metabolic (15%), toxic (8%), viral (3%), neoplastic (2%), protozoal diseases (1.5%) and circulatory disorders (0.5%). Regarding the type of bird, degenerative, toxic changes and viral hepatitis were more frequent in BC. Circulatory and metabolic disorders, as well as bacterial hepatitis, were more frequently diagnosed in LC. Neoplastic and protozoal hepatitis occurred more frequently in BYC. The macroscopic examination in association with histopathology enabled the diagnosis of the hepatic changes in 59% of the cases. Considering bacterial hepatitis in commercial poultry, the etiological diagnosis is highly important, in view of the risk for public health, despite the obvious importance due to the productivity losses and condemnation at processing.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Hepatic changes in Gallus gallus domesticus in Brazil

et al. 2022

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Experimental infections with the protozoan parasite Histomonas meleagridis: a review

Hauck

Hafez

2012

Parasitol Res

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In recent years, a number of studies about Histomonas meleagridis, and more specifically about experiments in vivo involving H. meleagridis to investigate the pathogenicity and efficacy of drugs or vaccines, have been published. Together with older publications, a considerable amount of information about experimental infections with H. meleagridis exist, which is helpful for planning future animal studies and can reduce the number of birds used in such studies toward better animal welfare. One hundred sixty-seven publications describing experimental infections with H. meleagridis were published in scientific journals between 1920 and 2012. One hundred forty-two of these publications describe infections of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and 52 infections of chickens (Gallus gallus). In 18 studies, experiments involving other species were done. The most popular routes of infection were the intracloacal application of histomonal trophozoites from culture material, from lesions or from feces of infected birds, or using larvae of the cecal worm Heterakis gallinarum (83 studies) and the oral application of eggs or other stages of the cecal worm containing histomonal stages (83 studies). During the last 10 years, intracloacal application of trophozoites has become the most popular way to experimentally infect birds with H. meleagridis due to its high reproducibility and reliability. In most studies, infection doses of several 10,000 or 100,000 histomonal trophozoites were used for infection, and the resulting mortality in turkeys was more than 70 %. First mortality can occur as early as 6 days p.i.; peak mortality usually is 13-15 days p.i. Lower infection doses may delay mortality about 2 days. In chickens infected by the intracloacal route, mortality and clinical signs are rare, but infection rates are similar. Cecal lesions can be observed from 3 to 4 days p.i., lesions up to 3 weeks p.i.; liver lesions may be lacking completely or be present only in a small number of birds. In most studies infecting birds with Heterakis eggs containing histomonal stages, several 100 to 1,000 Heterakis eggs were used. However, lower doses might be sufficient, as infection with as few as 58 eggs per bird caused a mortality up to 90 % in turkeys. Clinical symptoms start 9 days p.i., and first mortality occurs after 12 days, while most of the infected birds die between 19 and 21 days p.i. The infectivity of Heterakis eggs containing histomonal stages for chickens is similar as for turkeys, but mortality and clinical signs are rare. Further infection was done by oral application of histomonal trophozoites either grown in culture or using lesions or feces of infected birds (26 studies). These yielded very mixed results, with infection rates between 0 and more than 80 % in turkeys and chickens. After successful oral infection of turkeys, mortality occurs at roughly the same time as after intracloacal infection. Further 18 studies employed seeder birds to infect in-contact birds. Other means of infection were exposure to contaminated soil or...

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