Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ascaridia numidae worm infection linked to high death in young guinea
By Robbins, Kabel M et al.·Published in Avian diseases·2011·Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Identification of Ascaridia numidae in guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) and association with elevated mortality.
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A group of 10-week-old guinea fowl on a commercial farm experienced a worrying outbreak of illness, leading to a 11.66% increase in deaths. The birds showed signs of weakness, increased thirst, loss of appetite, and stunted growth. Upon examination, veterinarians found a large number of intestinal worms identified as Ascaridia numidae, which were blocking their intestines. Treatment with piperazine sulfate effectively reduced the worm count and improved the birds' health, bringing mortality rates back to normal levels.
People also search for: guinea fowl health problems · treatment for worms in birds · why are my guinea fowl dying
Abstract
An outbreak of ascaridiasis occurred in 10-wk-old guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) on a commercial farm. Birds had exhibited elevated mortality (11.66%) in the previous week, as well as increased water consumption, weakness, anorexia, and stunted growth. Numerous nematodes, occasionally occluding the intestinal lumen, were present in the jejunum and ileum and were identified as Ascaridia numidae based on microscopic morphology. Ribosomal DNA 18S and 28S D3 sequences of the nematode were deposited into GenBank and found to be most similar to Ascaridia galli and Toxocara vitulorum, respectively; sequences for A. numidae had not been previously reported. Treatment with piperazine sulfate significantly reduced the number of adult worms in the intestines, greatly decreased eggs per gram of feces, relieved clinical signs in the flock, and returned the flock mortality back to expected levels. All findings implicate A. numidae as the cause of elevated mortality in this flock.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21500654/