Respiratory Cryptosporidiosis in Chickens

Abstract

In order to better characterize spontaneous respiratory cryptosporidiosis in chickens, a retrospective examination of histopathology reports from the Georgia Poultry Laboratories for an 18-mo period (4/1/86 to 9/30/87) was made; 12 cases were found. Collected data were analyzed and certain epidemiologic and histologic features were identified. Eleven of the 12 cases involved broiler type chickens. The ages of chickens with respiratory cryptosporidiosis were evenly distributed between 17 and 52 days of age. The infected birds were always clinically ill. Viruses or bacteria or both often accompanied respiratory Cryptosporidium sp. infections. Histologic lesions (including those of ciliary-adherent bacteria) are described. As the inflammatory response in infected organs became progressively nonpurulent (lymphocytes and plasma cells predominate), numbers of Cryptosporidium diminished. Cytologic preparations were useful for making diagnoses of respiratory cryptosporidiosis in chickens. Identification of epidemiologic features of respiratory cryptosporidiosis, and improved ability to make accurate and prompt diagnoses of Cryptosporidium sp. infection, are vital for a more complete understanding of the impact of this disease on poultry health.

Occurrence of conjunctivitis, sinusitis and upper region tracheitis in Japanese quail ( Coturnix coturnix japonica ), possibly caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum accompanied by Cryptosporidium sp. infection

“…However, only Tham et al (1982) addressed respiratory cryptosporidial infection. In broiler chickens, respiratory cryptosporidiosis has also been reported (Dhillon et al, 1981;Goodwin et al, 1988;Goodwin & Waltman, 1994). The symptoms were reportedly caused not only by cryptosporidia l infection, but complicated by other bacterial and viral infections.…”

A review of the importance of cryptosporidiosis in farm animals

“…Unlike younger (7-day-old) chicks [121], food conversion and body weight gain were not in¯uenced by C. baileyi infection in 26-day-old broilers [132]. In practice, infections with Cryptosporidium are known to occur only in chickens less than 11 weeks of age [133], and not in adult birds [127,134].…”

“…Naturally occurring cryptosporidiosis in chickens usually manifests as respiratory disease, and only occasionally as intestinal or renal disease [124]. Symptoms (depression, anorexia, emaciation, coughing, sneezing, dyspnoea), pathological consequences (excessive mucoid exudate, local in¯ammation, airsacculitis, deciliation, epithelial hypertrophy and hyperplasia), as well as increased mortality are most often associated with respiratory cryptosporidiosis [15,126,127]. The primary respiratory disease potential of C. baileyi was proven in the absence of other detected pathogens, and the negative eect of cryptosporidiosis on growth performance and carcass pigment was clearly shown [121].…”

Causas de morte em Passeriformes: comparação entre aves de vida livre residentes na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo e aves oriundas do tráfico

“…Infecções concomitantes podem estar presentes (GOODWIN et al, 1988;BLAGBURN et al, 1990;LINDSAY et al, 1991;SRÉTER;VARGA, 2000).…”

“…Macroscopicamente observa-se excessiva quantidade de muco em todo trato, hiperemia, esplenomegalia e emaciação (GREINER; HADDAD, 1995;CURRENT, 1999;SRÉTER;VARGA, 2000). O exame histopatológico pode revelar aerossaculite, conjuntivite, sinusite, traqueíte e rinite compostas por heterófilos, linfócitos, macrófagos e plasmócitos, hiperplasia e hipertrofia epitelial, necrose e congestão de todo trato respiratório (GOODWIN et al, 1988;SRÉTER;VARGA, 2000). Em estudo realizado por Tsai, Hirai e Itakura (1992) com psitacídeos,…”