Gastrointestinal Helminths of Local and Exotic Domestic Fowls in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria

Chicken remains the most intensively reared domesticated poultry species in the animal production industry in Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to November 2016 in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria to evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal and malaria parasites of local and exotic domestic fowls. A total of 620 domestic fowls were examined for gastrointestinal parasites in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria, using the flotation technique. Another 16 (10 exotic and six local) domestic fowls were examined for Plasmodium infection and Packed Cell Volume (PCV). Five species of parasites were identified from the domestic fowls which included Ascaridia galli (54.2%), Heterakis gallinarum (15.5%), Capillaria sp. (8.2%), Raillietina sp. (20.8%) and Syngamus trachea (1.4%). Ascaridia galli had the highest prevalence in both the local (male = 50%, female = 48.5%) and exotic domestic fowls (male = 62.5%, female = 55.7%), followed by Raillietina sp., Heterakis gallinarum, Capillaria sp. and Syngamus trachea respectively. Plasmodium sp. was detected in two (33.3%) out of six local domestic fowls and two (20%) out of 10 exotic domestic fowls. The relationship between the PCV and malaria parasite prevalence level in both local and exotic domestic fowls were negative and not statistically significant (p>0.05). However, the relationship between the PCV and malaria parasite prevalence was stronger in the local domestic fowls (R = 0.207) than in the exotic domestic fowls (R = 0.172). It is necessary that public awareness scheme, and prevention and control measures with better management system be introduced in the study area.

Arterial vascularization of the cloacal bursa of the greater rhea (Rhea americana americana Linnaeus, 1758) / Vascularização arterial da bolsa cloacal de emas (Rhea americana americana Linnaeus, 1758)

The cloacal bursa is an organ in fowls, which triggers lymphocyte maturation and transference to other tissues. Since there is scanty information on its morphology in wild species in spite of its importance in the fowls´ immunological system, current analysis describes the arterial vascularization of the cloacal bursa in the greater rhea. Twenty juvenile rheas (male and female), which died of natural causes, were obtained from the Center for the Multiplication of Wild Animals (CEMAS/UFERSA). The animals were dissected and their thoracic aorta cannulated and red-stained Latex Neoprene 650 was introduced. The cloacal bursa was irrigated from the terminal branches of the abdominal aorta similar to the caudal mesenteric artery and to the right and left internal iliac arteries. The right and left internal pudenda arteries originated from the right and left internal iliac arteries which, in their turn, gave rise to cloacalbursa arteries and to the right and left cloacal arteries in all studied animals. The caudal mesenteric artery contributed to the arterial blood of the cloacal bursa in almost all studied animals through the anastomosis of right or left internal pudenda artery, with direct branches to the cloacal bursa. The cloacal bursa of the greater rhea is irrigated by cloacal-bursa arteries and cloacal right and left and also by the mesenteric caudal artery, with small variations with regard to the number and layout of the anastomoses and branches from the arteries. The latter are specific characteristics and differentiate them from standards perceived in other fowls.

A bolsa cloacal é o órgão das aves responsável pela maturação e transferência de linfócitos para outros tecidos. Apesar da importância deste órgão nos mecanismos imunológicos das aves, são escassas as informações a respeito de sua morfologia em espécies silvestres, fato que ensejou descrever a vascularização arterial do mesmo em emas. Foram utilizadas 20 emas jovens (machos e fêmeas) obtidas no Centro de Multiplicação de Animais Silvestres (CEMAS/UFERSA), as quais vieram a óbito por causas naturais. Os animais foram dissecados e a aorta torácica canulada e perfundida com Látex Neoprene 650 corado com pigmento vermelho. Verificou-se que a irrigação da bolsa cloacal é originada a partir de ramos terminais da artéria aorta abdominal, tais como, as artérias ilíacas internas, direita e esquerda e a artéria mesentérica caudal. Das artérias ilíacas internas, direita e esquerda, originaram-se as artérias pudendas internas, direita e esquerda, que por sua vez deram origem às artérias bursocloacais e cloacais, direita e esquerda em todos os animais estudados. A artéria mesentérica caudal contribuiu com o aporte sanguíneo arterial da bolsa cloacal em quase todos os animais estudados, por meio de anastomose com a artéria pudenda interna direita ou com a artéria pudenda interna esquerda, mas também emitiu ramos diretamente a bolsa cloacal. A bolsa cloacal de emas é irrigada pelas artérias bursocloacais e cloacais direita e esquerda e ainda, pela artéria mesentérica caudal, podendo apresentar pequenas variações quanto ao número e disposição de anastomoses e ramos emitidos, peculiares à espécie, o que as diferenciam do padrão comumente reportado para outras aves.

Comparative anatomical characteristics of cardiac valves in animals / 동물의과학연구지

Although various animals have been used as models of cardiac valvular diseases in humans, the structural characteristics of cardiac valves in animals remain unclear. In this study, we investigated cardiac valves in representative animal models for the purpose of comparative anatomy. Adult hearts from three dogs, four goats, six rabbits, and six fowls were fixed with 10% neutral-buffered formalin and analyzed gross-anatomically. Cardiac appearance was spherical or oval in dogs, goats, and rabbits, whereas it had a long conical shape in fowls. Left atrioventricular (AV) valve was composed of membranous septal and parietal cusps connected to two papillary muscles in all animals. The right AV valve was composed of membranous septal, parietal, and angular cusps with three papillary muscles in dogs and goats, membranous septal and parietal cusps attached to four papillary muscles in rabbits, and a single muscular plate without any papillary muscles and chorda tendinae in fowls. Aortic valves with thin membranous right, left, and septal semilunar cusps in dogs, goats, and rabbits had a thick membrane with a bended free border in fowls. Pulmonary valve (PV) with membranous right, left, and intermediate semilunar cusps made a large central hole by being closely attached to the surrounding wall in dogs, goats, and rabbits, whereas it protruded into half of the lumen as a thick membrane in fowls. The membranous cusp of the PV was composed of several layers in dogs and goats but was a single layer in rabbits and fowls. These findings indicate that even if animals have two completely separated atria and ventricles each, cardiac valves have species-specific morphological characteristics, especially between mammals and fowls.

Carrapatos em aves selvagens no Zoológico de Sorocaba - São Paulo, Brasil / Ticks em wild fowls at Sorocaba - São Paulo State, Brazil

Eight wild fowls kept in captivity at a Brazilian Zoo were examined from july 1994 to October 2000. One hundred twenty-three Ixodidae specimens were collected and sent to the Ixodides Laboratory at the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They were examined by stereomicroscopy and were identified as Amblyomma longirostre (53), A. pacae (50), A. cajennense (14), and A. parvum (6).

Alterações nos parâmetros hematológicos de Gallus gallus domesticus experimentalmente infectados por Borrelia anserina / Alterations in hematological parameters of Gallus gallus domesticus experimentally infected with Borrelia anserina

Borreliose aviária é uma doença septicêmica aguda, cosmopolita, que acomete diferentes espécies aviárias, sendo causada por Borrelia anserina Sakharoff, 1891. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar as alterações hematológicas em Gallus gallus domesticus experimentalmente infectados por B. anserina via vetor Argas (Persicargas) miniatus. Um total de 27 aves da espécie G. g. domesticus com 67 dias de vida, foram divididas em três grupos inteiramente casualizados contendo nove animais cada. Um grupo foi exposto a carrapatos infectados por B. anserina (Grupo 1); outro a carrapatos livres deste agente (Grupo 2); além de um grupo não exposto aos carrapatos (Grupo 3). Realizaram-se esfregaços sangüíneos diariamente, a partir do primeiro dia de exposição ao vetor, até o 25º dia pós-exposição (DPE). Amostras de sangue foram coletadas 3 dias antes da exposição aos carrapatos, e 3, 8 e 18 dias pós-exposição (DPE), para a realização dos hemogramas. O exame dos esfregaços das aves do Grupo 1 revelou grande número de espiroquetas. Os esfregaços sangüíneos dos Grupos 2 e 3 mantiveram-se negativos durante todo o período experimental. De acordo com os resultados das avaliações hematológicas, as aves do Grupo 1 apresentaram um quadro de anemia normocítica normocrômica em oito DPE, além de leucocitose com heterofilia e monocitose que cursaram paralelamente ao período de espiroquetemia. Concluiu-se que a infecção por B. anserina determinou nas aves do Grupo 1 alterações hematológicas compatíveis com uma infecção bacteriana de moderada gravidade, evoluindo para auto-cura, nas condições experimentais estabelecidas neste trabalho.(AU)

Avian spirochaetosis is a cosmopolite acute septicemic disease of many avian species, caused by Borrelia anserina Sakharoff, 1891. The present study assesses the estimate of the hematological alterations of Gallus gallus domesticus experimentally infected with B. anserina by vector Argas (Persicargas) miniatus. Twenty-seven fowls of the species G. g. domesticus, 67 days old, were randomly allocated into three groups composed by nine animals each. One group was exposed to B. anserina infected ticks (Group 1), other one to ticks free of this agent (Group 2), and another group not exposed to ticks (Group 3). Blood smears of the fowls were taken daily, since the first day the fowls were exposed to the ticks, up to the 25th day after exposure (DAE). Blood samples were collected three days before exposure, and three, eight and 18 DAE, for hematologic tests. The examination of Group 1 smears revealed large number of spirochaetes. Group 2 and 3 blood smears were negative during the whole period under exam. In agreement with the hematological evaluation results, the fowls exposed to infected ticks showed a normocytic normochromic anemia in eight DAE, leucocytosis with heterophilia and monocytosis concomitant with the spirochaetemia. We concluded that B. anserina infection determined on fowls of Group 1 hematological alterations compatible with bacterial infection of moderate gravity, developing to self-cure, in the experimental conditions established in this study.(AU)

Origem e distribuiçäo das artérias mesentéricas cranial e caudal em aves (Gallus gallus) da linhagem Label Rouge / Origin and distribution of the cranial and caudal mesenteric arteries in fowl (Gallus gallus) Label Rouge lineage

As artérias mesentéricas cranial e caudal säo vasos originados da aorta descendente e säo responsáveis pela irrigaçäo sanguínea de grande parte do aparelho digestório das aves. Foram utilizados 30 exemplares, fêmeas, da linhagem Label Rouge, com aproximadamente 7 a 8 semanas de idade, após injeçäo do sistema vascular arterial, via artéria isquiática, com soluçäo aquosa corada de Neoprene Látex "450", a 50 por cento. Posteriormente à sua fixaçäo em soluçäo aquosa de formol a 10 por cento, por período mínimo de 48 horas, as aves foram dissecadas, obtendo-se os seguintes resultados: a artéria mesentérica cranial emite as artérias ileocecal, de cinco a 13 jejunais e de uma a seis ileais. A artéria mesentérica caudal envia um ramo cranial que, em anastomose com a artéria ileocecal (ramo da artéria mesentérica cranial), em todos os casos, emite de cinco a 12 ramos, além de um ramo caudal que fornece de dois a cinco ramos. A artéria mesentérica cranial supre a maior parte do intestino delgado e cecos e a artéria mesentérica caudal irriga o reto e a cloaca, podendo, em alguns casos, vascularizar a porçäo final do íleo e os cecos