Browse > Article

An Outbreak of Chicken Histomoniasis in the Absence of Normal Vectors  

Son, Hwa-Young (Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine.College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University)
Kim, Nam-Soo (Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine.College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University)
Ryu, Si-Yun (Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine.College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University)
Shin, Hyun-Jin (Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine.College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University)
Park, Min-Kyu (Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine.College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University)
Kim, Hyeon-Cheol (School of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University)
Cho, Jeong-Gon (College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio-Safety Research Institute, Chonbuk National University)
Park, Bae-Keun (Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine.College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University)
Publication Information
Journal of Veterinary Clinics / v.26, no.6, 2009 , pp. 591-594 More about this Journal
Abstract
Acute and massive death was noted in 10-week-old chickens, broiler breeder, housed in the floor pens. The number of dead chickens exceeded 20 birds each day. Grossly, fibrinous peritonitis with adhesion of mesenteries and intestinal organs was noted. The ceca were enlarged, expanded, and thickened with congestion. Cecal lumen was distended with a caseous core composed of serous, fibrinopurulent, and hemorrhagic exudates with desquamated masses of epithelial cells. The liver had multifocal white irregular necrotic foci surrounded by a raised ring. Light and electron microscope revealed Histomonas meleagridis in the liver with its characteristic structures and not in the intestinal mucoca and submucosa. In this case, the examination of parasite, larvae and egg was conducted more carefully; however, we could not find eggs or worms of Heterakis gallinarum in the dead or live chickens and earthworms in the soils of floor pens. Therefore, we concluded that an outbreak of blackhead disease probably occurred by direct transmission of histomonads from chickens to chickens in this case.
Keywords
Histomoniasis; Histomonas meleagridis; absence of Heterakis gallinarum and earthworm; chickens;
Citations & Related Records

Times Cited By SCOPUS : 0
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Farr M, Further observations on survival of the protozoan parasite Histomonas meleagridis and the eggs of the poultry nematode in the feces of infected birds. Cornell Vet 1957;51: 3-13
2 Fuller J, Hu L, Armstrong PL, McDougald LR. Histomonas meleagridis in chickens: attemped transmission in the absence of vectors. Avian Dis 2006; 50: 277-279   DOI   ScienceOn
3 Gibbs BJ. The occurrence of the protozoan parasite Histomonas meleagridis in the adults and eggs of the cecal worm Heterakis gallinae. J Protozool 1962; 9: 288-293
4 Hu J, McDougald LR. Infection of turkeys with Histomonas meleagridis by the cloacal drop method. Avain Dis 2004; 48: 746-750   DOI   ScienceOn
5 Lund EE. Oral transmission of histomonas in turkeys. Poult Sci 1956; 35: 900-904   DOI
6 Park JW, Jun MH, Cho SW, Cho WY. Histomoniasis of chucker partridge in Korea: A case report. Korean J Vet Res 1992; 32 (2): 235-238
7 Springer WT, Johnson J, Reid WM. Transmission of histomoniasis with male Heterakis gallinarum (Nematoda). Parasitology 1969; 59: 401-405   DOI   ScienceOn
8 Tyzzer EE, Collier J. Induced and natural transmission of blackhead in the absence of Heterakis. J Infect Dis 1925; 37: 265-284   DOI
9 Alkhalaf AN, Mahmound OM. An outbreak of concurrent Histomonas meleagridis and Enteroccoccus fecalis infection in ducks. Asian J Poult Sci 2009; 3(1): 15-18   DOI
10 Farmer RT. Stephenson J. Infectious enterohepatitis (bleackhead) in turkeys: a comparative study of methods of infection. J Comp Patho Therapeutics 1949; 59: 119-126
11 Gerbod D, Edgcomb VP, Noel C, Zenner L, Wintjens R, Delgado-Viscogliosi P, Holder ME, Sogin ML, Viscogliosi E. Phylogenetic position of the trichomonad parasite of turkeys, Histomonas meleagridis (Smith) Tyzzer, inferred from small subunit rRNA sequence. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2001; 48: 498-504   DOI   ScienceOn
12 Soulsby EJL. Helminths, arthropods and protozoa of domesticated animals. 7th ed. London, Balliere Tinadall 1982; 567-572
13 Horton-Smith C, Long PL. The infection of chickens (Gallus gallus) with histomonad suspensions. Parasitology 1956; 46: 76-90
14 Hu J, Fuller L, Armstrong PL, McDougald LR. Histomonas meleagridis in chickens: attempted transmission in the absence of vectors. Avian Dis 2006; 50: 277-279   DOI   ScienceOn
15 McDougald LR. Protozoal infections. In Diseases of Poultry, 11^{th} ed. Saif YM, Barnes HJ, Glisson JR, Fadly AM, McDougald LR, Swayne DE, eds. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA. 2003: 974-990
16 Grabill HW, Smith T. Production of fatal blackhead in turkeys by feeding embryonated eggs of Heterakis papillosa. J Exp Med 1920; 34: 647-662
17 Hu J, Fuller L, Armstrong PL, McDougald LR. Blackhead disease in turkeys: direct transmission of Histomonas meleagridis from bird to bird in a laboratory model. Avian Dis 2005; 49: 328-331   DOI   ScienceOn
18 Tyzzer EE. The flagellate character of the parasite producing “blackhead” in turkeys Histomonas meleagridis. J Parasitol 1920; 6: 124-130   DOI   ScienceOn
19 Sorvai R. Naukkarinen A, Sorvari TE. Anal sucking-like movements in chicken and chick embryo followed by transportation of environmental material to bursa of Fabricius, ceca and cecal tonsils. Poultry Sci 1977; 56: 1426-1429   DOI   ScienceOn
20 Lund EE, Wehr EE, Ellis DJ. Earthworm transmission of Heterakis and Histomonas to turkeys and chickens. J Parasitol 1966; 52: 899-902   DOI   ScienceOn
21 Kemp RL, Springer WT. Histomoniasis in diseases of poultry (8^{th}) Iowa state Uni Press USA . 1984; 717-723
22 McDougald LR, Fuller L. Blackhead disease in turkeys: Direct transmission of Histomonas meleagridis from bird to bird in a laboratory model. Avian Dis 2005; 49 (3): 328-331   DOI   ScienceOn