ORO-PHARYNGEAL PROTOZOA IN CAPTIVE BUSTARDS - CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

An ore-pharyngeal protozoal survey was carried out in captive bustards in the United Arab Emirates, Endolimax spp,, Entamoeba gallinarum, Ac anthamoeba spp,, Naegleria spp, and Coccidia spp, were the protozoa is olated from the ore-pharynx of clinically normal birds. The protozoa s pecies involved in ore-pharyngeal diseases were Trichomonas gallinae a nd Entamoeba anatis. Most of the protozoa observed in clinical cases w ere associated with severe secondary bacterial infections possibly due to the suppression of normal ore-pharyngeal bacterial flora which inc ludes Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp,, Klebsiella spp, and Citroba cter spp, In this respect, Pseudomonas spp,, and Staphylococcus spp,, were isolated from individuals affected with ore-pharyngeal diseases. In such cases, inflammatory changes in the ore-pharynx were detected a ssociated with white-yellow caseous nodular lesions, mucous discharge, exfoliation of epithelial cells and the presence of inflammatory cell s.