LPM 222: Diversified poultry production and current concepts in poultry management and marketing [Livestock Production Management (Regional Interest)] (1+1)

Leucocytozoonosis

LEUCOCYTOZONOSIS 

• This is a parasitic disease of birds which affects the blood cells (especially the white blood cells) and the tissues of various internal organs (parasite multiplication occurs in the macrophages of brain, liver, heart, lungs, and spleen).
• It is a very uncommon disease in geese but outbreaks of economic significance have been reported. Leucocvtozoon sirnondi is the causative agent in waterfowl and has been reported in 27 species of ducks and geese in North America, Europe and Vietnam.

Symptoms

• Leucocytozoon infections are diagnosed by direct microscopic observation and by identification of either the gametocytes (sexual stage of the parasite) in stained blood samples or of the schizonts (stage of massive multiplication) in tissue sections.

Treatment

• Treatment of leucocytozoonosis with drugs has, in general, had limited success and no effective treatment has been found for Leucocytozoon simondi.
• Control methods require the elimination of the insect carriers that include various species of diptera (simuliid flies and culicoid midges) that live near streams.