Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Year : 2004, Volume : 25, Issue : 1
First page : ( 41) Last page : ( 44)
Print ISSN : 0790-9320.

Cryptosporidiosis in Chicken: An experimental Study

Nighot Prashant K.

Poultry Diagnostic and Research Centre (PDRC), Venkateshwara Hatcheries Ltd., Pune - 411 030 (Karnataka)

A field case of cryptosporidiosis was recently reported from chicken in India. The field isolate of the parasite was propagated and inoculated experimentally into chicken to study its pathogenesis. Besides mild depression in body weights and bursal indices, faecal examination revealed peak excretion of acid-fast, ovoid, average 6.2 X 4.8 μm sized oocysts on day 15PI. Histologically, the acid-fast and PAS positive protozoan parasites were mostly detected in bursal epithelium causing progressive lesions characterized by early vacuolization, hyperplasia and granulocytic infiltration, followed by cystic changes. By electron microscopy, different development stages were visualized within bursal scrapings. The clinical course, dynamics of faecal excretion, morphometry and light and electron microscopy findings were similar to those of species C. baileyi. As bursa is a primary lymphoid organ associated with immune response in chicken, cryptosporidial affliction of bursa may be of great importance especially in the presence of other pathogens under field conditions.

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