Asian Jounal of Poultry Science, 2008 ISSN 1819-3609 © 2008 Academie Jounal Ine. An Outbreak of Concurrent Histomonas meleagridis and Enteroccocus fecalis Infection in Ducks AN, Alkhalafandl OM, Mahmoud Department of Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, P.O. Box 1482, Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia Abstract: Seventy four young ducks ina Dock of about 300 bids, died of cute hemonragie enteritis within 15 days of appearance of the disease, Clinical signs were severe bloody iartnea, weakness and detydration, Fecal smears stained with Giemsas stain showed presence Enteraccoeus spp an rd blood cells, Gram lain showed the Bnteroccocus spp. ‘courted singly, in pairs and in short chuins and were Gram postive, Postmortem examination showed putey hamnorshages and ulceration inthe small and large intestines as well as the cagea. No worms wee seen in the aga, The liver was enlarged and dark in colour. Histopathological examination showed kaemorshages and mucosal erosion and ‘lceraticn in the small and large intestines as well as liver cll necrosis, The intestine mucosa and submucose contained Histomonas meleagridis, The liver also contained Histomonas ‘meleagridis, occuting singly o in clusters, with its characteristic (double-cyed) sractre It was concluded that the severity of infection of this outbreak was attibuted to the concurrent effet of beth Enteroocoeus and Histemonas infections, ey wor ds: Concnrtent infection, histomoniasis,enteroccoeus infection. ducks INTRODUCTION Enteroccocus fecalis is 4 gram positive bactesia that ous singly, in pairs or shot chains (Saif 200), Itisa common inhabitant ofthe smal intestine of ducks and very resistant to macrolide and Lincosamnide antbiotis (Saikia era, 1995). It causes a wide syndrome of clinieal sigs and in the acute disease may cause lesions in the intestine, heart, liver and airsacs in ducks (Sandhu, 1988) Histomonas moloagraits is usually transmitted by the cagcal worm Hereratis gallrae (Saif, 2001), However direct transmission can occur, MeDougeld and Fuller (2005) confirmed that histomoniasis can be transmit readily from diretly exposed young turkeys to cther in absence of ‘the caeeal worm veete. Dice! trastnission of Histomonas meleagridis tough a lock has also been proved to oceu though nonmal contact bet2en uninfested birds and infected ones inthe total absence ‘of eaeoal worms by ITue and MeDougald (2003), Concurrent infections have been reported to angment the cliieal effet of Histomonas infection. Ittuas been shown tat and 6% ineteasein mortality rate and 11% decrease in egg productionin free ange layer hens was attributed to concurrent infection with Hisiomans meleagradis and Brachyspira like bacteria Esquenct ef al, 2003). MeDougald and Hue (2001) showed that blackhcad discase (cause by Histomanas meleagridis) was aggravated in boiler chickens by concurrent infection with ‘caaoal coccidiosis, They concluded that this dual expesute may contribute to inerease clinical oubeeaks ‘of blackhead disease in chickens under Feld conditions We report an outbreak farm characterized by high mertalty in young birds with concurrent infection with Histomonas meleagridi ae] Enterococcus spp, occurred in a duck farm at Qassitn, central Sani: Arabia in absence ofthe known intermediate host Morera gallinoe, arrespen ‘Author: AN. Alli, Depart of Velawary Medicine, Qasim Uva, P.O. Bos 1482, Bureyéh, Qasim, Sadi Arabia 1Avian J Poult Be, 2008 MATERIALS AND METHODS ‘Ten ducks that died of acute haemorthagie enteric were preented tothe Pathology Department, (Qassim University st Buraydah, Saudi Arabi to investigate the eause of death. The divenve occurred during December 2005, Fecal saruples were examined for presence of worm parasites. Smears from feces were also stained with Cems and Gram stains Organs showing lesions were fixed in 10% formol-line and processed for routine ictopathology.. ‘Smears were made from feses of clinically il birds and stained with Giemwa and Cie stains, The bacterium via identified ar dererihed by Covimen (198). RESULTS. ‘the fam contained about 300 ducks of different ages. They reared oma senn-intensive sytem of production and fed a commercially prepared food, Wateris offered 0. “The dzeare appeared suddenly with profuse bloody diahea, prostration and dehydration, Death cceumred siddenky in some birds but mast affested ducks died within a period of 1-10 days from appearance of symptom Examination of wet mounts of feces showed no woun paraites. Fecal near stained with icons stain shovced red blood cell and enterococci ecnrng singly, in pais of short chains of 3-8 cocel (Fig. 1a), Fecal smears stained with Gram stain showed gram positive entarocoest. The cnferococed were almost in pure form and stained poritve with Gram stain (Fig 1b), Postmortem examination shovred the extensive ulcerative Memorthagic enteritis. The ivr dar. ‘in colour and swollen, There wa congestion of kidneys and huemonhage in the heart. Te lungs were normal istopathological examination showed haemorrhagic enteritis and shedding of the intestinal cosa. Aistomoncs meleagridis had been shown to infect almost all the in the intestinal mucosa and vbmucora (Fig. 2). Histcmonas metzagridix was also cesn in the liver as singly orin aggregates (ig. 3). The liver parenchyma war largely destroyed and coagulative necrosis is evident on those remaining ell, fistomonas meteagrias in he intestine and Hiverhad the typical diagnostie feature kknosena« ouble-eyed lesion. The liver ells were necrotic and fatty degenerated andthe parenchyma ‘was infiltrated wich inflammatory ell ‘ig. La: Fecal smear showing red blood eels and single, pairs and short cheins of Buteroccoeus spp Giemsa stain x1000,Pig, 1h: Fecal smear showing Gram positive single, pirs and shot chains of Enferoccocus spp. Gram stain x1000 Fig, 2 Section of infected intestine showing Histomonas meleagridis inside enterocytes, H and E x 490 Fig. 3: Section of liver showing Histomenas meleagrds (black arrows) aod necrotic liver cells (white arrows) H and E x-400Asian J. Poult. Sei, 2008 DISCUSSION ‘The researchers are not awate of a previous report deserbing concurrent Histomonas and Entroccocus infection in ducks. The high mortality experienced inthe above reported outbeeak was atwibuted tothe concurrent Entetoceoeus infection of the intestine and Histomenas infection of intestine and the liver Concurrent infections inthe avian species have been reported to aggravate the main clinical disease and inerease mortality, Previous reports have shown thatthe clinical effects of Histomons infection has been aggravated by concurrent infection with te protozoan Fimeria (MeDovgald and Hu, 2001) and by infection with a pathogenic bacterium (Esquenet ofa, 2003) ‘The rapid spread of the above disease in the duck flock andl the high incidence of morality denoted a dec tansmrission of infection. Transmission of Histomonas meleagridis is knovin to coeur tough the worm Feweratisgalimarumn. In the above outbreak we have not seen this eaecal wort in any of the postmortemed ducks. Many recent studies showed that both Histomoniasis and Enterococosis could be transmitted by direct contact (MeDougald and Fuller, 2005; Saif, 2001). In conclusion the present research shows that concurrent infection of Histomanas spp. an Enterococcus spp can result ina severe disease in ducks, Histopathologic examination of infected liver and intestine sto be supported by microbiological investigation to give a dkagncss forthe mixed infection REFERENCES ‘Cowman, $7, 1985, Marna for the Identification of Medical Bacteria, Cambridge University Pras. Esquenet, C.,P. De Herdh, H. De Bosschere, S. Ronsmans, R. Ducatelle and J. Van Erm, 2003. An ‘outbreak of histomoniassinfiee-ange layer hens. Avian Pathol, 32 (3): 305-208, Hue JLand LR. MeDeuggld, 2003, Diet lateral arssuisson of Histomonas meleagridisin wekeys. 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