MANAGEMENT OF MIXED INFECTION OF CAPILLARIOSIS AND COCCIDIOSIS IN A FLOCK OF PIGEONS

Pigeons (Columba livia). ubiquitous in distribution, constitute one of the 300 species of columbiformes, and vulnerable to many diseases. Mi tra and Das Gupta (1937) had reported outbreak of coccidiosis in pigeo ns causing quite heavy mortality when associated with other infections . Amprolium (Jones et al.. 1971) appears. to be the drug used for its treatment. Similarly Capillaria columbae in India is. a common intesti nal nematode of pigeons (Bhalerao, 1935). Pathogenicity of this specie s has been recorded by many workers (Berghen, 1966; Chubb et al., 1964 ; Wakelin, 1965). For the treatment of capillariosis a variety of dru gs have been used with varying success such as, Ivermectin (Schepkens et' al., 1985), Tetramisole (Scupin and Linkermann, 1970) and Fenbenda zole (Kirsch and Degenhardt, 1979). This paper presents some observati ons on the occurnence of mixed infection of coccidiosis and capillario sis and their treatment in domestic pigeons.