VMD 513: Pet animal Breeding, Management, Nutrition and Health Care (1+1)

PROTOZOAN DISEASES OF PET BIRDS

Haemoproteus

• It is the largest and most commonly encountered blood parasite group, containing nearly 200 species and varieties. Manly transmitted by hippoboscid flies.
• Haemoproteus rarely been incriminated as the causal agent of mortality in avian population.

Plasmodium

• The canary appears to be highly vulnerable to most malarias under experimental condition. P. gallinaceus, P. lophurae and P. relictum are more virulent.
• The clinical signs include listless and anorexia, bird will stop preening and other normal behavioural activities.
• Anemia, edema of the eyelids, emaciation, and sudden death are frequently seen.
• Necropsies frequently reveal serous hemorrhage and hepato and splenomegaly.
• Control is best achieved by elimination of mosquito vectors.
• Avian malarias such as P. gallinaceum tend to respond to treatments with antimalarial drugs like chloroquine 5mg/kg body weight and proguanil at 7.5mg/kg body weight.
• However the same drug with other avian malaria species have little or no effect.

Trypanosoma

• Avian trypanosomes are not incriminated as causing harm to their avian hosts. No symptom are reported.