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Dr.Kedar Karki
Coccidiosis
Coccidiosis usually occurs in growing birds and young adults. It is seldom seen in
birds under three weeks or in mature birds. Signs of an outbreak include birds
that are pale, droopy, tend to huddle, consume less feed and water, have
diarrhea, and may become emaciated and dehydrated. Laying hens will
experience a reduction in rate of egg production.
Cecal coccidiosis may produce bloody droppings and anemia that is often
followed by death. Intestinal coccidiosis is not as acute and is more chronic in
nature. It produces less mortality than the cecal form.
Lesions of the infection depend on the species of coccidia causing the problem,
its severity and stage of the disease. Cecal coccidiosis may produce a ballooning
of the cecal pouches that is filled with free blood. A later stage is characterized by
cecae that are filled with a material with a cheesy consistency and being tinged
with variable amounts of blood. Lesions of intestinal coccidiosis vary from a
rather mild enteritis to a severe necrotic or hemorrhagic type.
Cecal coccidiosis may be confused with blackhead and salmonellosis due to their
similar lesions. Intestinal coccidiosis may be confused with hemorrhagic anemia
syndrome and other enteric diseases. Definite diagnosis is made from the
microscopic examination of scrapings of the digestive tract and identification of
the coccidia organisms. Since it is common for healthy birds to possess some
coccidia, consideration of flock history and lesions must be considered before
making diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
Chickens are frequently infected without showing signs of the disease. These
chickens may shed enormous numbers of blackhead organisms, many of which
are protected by cecal worm eggs. Outbreaks in turkeys can often be traced to
direct or indirect contact with ranges, houses or equipment previously used by
chickens. Free-flying birds may also contribute to an infection.
Most blackhead losses occur in young birds (six to sixteen weeks). Among the
symptoms are loss of appetite, increased thirst, droopiness, drowsiness,
darkening of the facial regions and diarrhea. Morbidity and mortality are variable,
but mortality seldom exceeds fifteen percent; however, it may approach one-
hundred percent in uncontrolled turkey outbreaks. Losses are usually low in
chickens.
Lesions of uncomplicated blackhead are confined to the cecae and liver, thus the
reason for the synonymous term, enterohepatitis. The cecae are ballooned and
walls may be thickened, necrotic and ulcerated. Caseous (cheesy) cores within
the cecae may be blood tinged. Peritonitis may be present if ulcers have
perforated the ceca walls. Livers are swollen and display circular depressed
areas of necrosis about one-half inch in diameter. Smaller lesions coalesce to
form larger ones. Lesions are yellowish to yellow-green and extend deeply into
the underlying liver tissue. Healing lesions may resemble those seen in visceral
leukosis.
Blackhead diagnosis is made readily on the basis of the lesions. Atypical forms,
particularly in chickens, must be differentiated from cecal coccidiosis and
Salmonella infections in particular. Medications may interfere with atypical
lesions. Laboratory tests may be required for positive diagnosis in such cases.
Good management is the only effective method of preventing this disease since
many of the effective drugs used in past years are no longer available
commercially. Drugs that reduce the presence of cecal worms, and thus reduce
the infection rate, are available but do not have an effect on the Histomonas
organism. Refer to the cecal worm section for recommended control practices.
This disease is found primarily in young birds, and outbreaks seldom occur in
poults past ten or eleven weeks. Losses are most severe in birds three to five
weeks old. Apparently, resistance develops rapidly with increasing age,
regardless of previous exposure.
The primary infection source is droppings from carrier birds. About a third of
recovered birds become carriers. Most outbreaks result from a buildup of
organisms through several broods of poults, making exposure of the following
brood overwhelming. Indirect transmission may result from fecal material carried
from one location to another on shoes or equipment. Free-flying birds also may
be carriers.
Primary symptoms are listlessness and foamy or watery diarrhea with rapid
weight loss due to the dehydrating effect. Birds often huddle together near the
heat source and cry or "chirp" constantly as though in pain. Convulsions due to
lowered blood sugar levels shortly precede death. Affected birds suffer losses in
weight and survivors remain stunted.
Dehydration and emaciation are the principal gross lesions. Muscles are dark
and dry. The intestine usually appears to have lost muscle-tone. Intestinal
contents are usually thin and watery, or may contain mucus.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Diseases of Poultry, Eds. Calnek BW, Barnes HJ, Beard CW, Reid WM, Yoder
HW
Jr., Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA, 9th ed., 1991
3. A Color Atlas of Diseases of the Domestic Fowl and Turkey, Randall CJ, Iowa
State University Press, Ames, IA 1984
4. Tumors of the Fowl, Campbell JG, Wm. Heinemann Medical Books, Ltd,
London,
1969