Ra. Norton et al., An outbreak of histomoniasis in turkeys infected with a moderate level of Ascaridia dissimilis but no Heterakis gallinarum, AVIAN DIS, 43(2), 1999, pp. 342-348
Histomoniasis was diagnosed in a commercial turkey flock. All morbidity and
mortality occurred in one house. Birds exhibited lesions characteristic fo
r histomoniasis, and the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic examina
tion. Affected turkeys were infected with moderate levels of Ascaridia diss
imilis but not Heterakis gallinarum, Compression smears of hepatic tissues
showed typical histotrophic phase Histomonas meleagridis, whereas cecal sme
ars exhibited large numbers of Trichomonas gallinarum. A challenge experime
nt was conducted in which turkey poults were placed on contaminated litter.
Although histomoniasis was not reproduced in the experiment, the birds did
become infected with low numbers of A. dissimilis.