LEUCOCYTOZOONOSIS

Nunuk Dyah Retno Lastuti

Gametosit, schizont Leucocytozoon
Life Cycle
 ETIOLOGY
• An acute disease in young birds caused by
infection with Leucocytozoon spp.
• Acute outbreaks have been reported in chickens (Asia,
Africa), turkeys (North America), Waterfowl (N America,
Europe).
• Chicken : L. caulleryi, L.sabrazesi
• Domestic bird : L. simondi (waterfowl), L.smithi in
turkey
• Sporozoit injected by simulium fly, are carried by
the blood stream to various cell of the body.
 CLINICAL SIGN
• Infection with Leucocytozoon spp : subclinical to fatal
• Emaciation, weakness and in adult birds may include
dyspnea (large number of megaloschizont in the
capillaries of the lung)
• Death is usual within a few days and the mortality
rate may be very high
• Mortality may approach 100% (species and strain of
parasite, host species, degree of exposure, other
factors). Morbidity rate: 0-40%
• L.caulleryi highly pathogenic, causing lethal
hemorrhagic disease
• Anemia caused by antierythrocytic factors
produce by the parasite
• Gametocyte blocking pulmonary capillaries, or
parasite invading the endothelium of vessels
in brain, heart etc, where they form
megalomeronts that occlude vessels and
result multifocal necrosis.
 CLINICAL SIGN
• Anemia
• Leukocytosis
• Tachypnea
• Anorexia
• Diarrhea with green dropping
• Egg production is impaired
• The sign are evident 1 week after infection,
coincide with the onset of parasitemia
 POST MORTEM
• JAUNDICE
• Blood appears thin with prolonged clotting time.
• ANEMIA, HAEMORRHAGIES IN THE LUNG,
KIDNEY, LIVER, SPLEEN
• WHITE SPOT ON THE HEART MUSCLE.
• CONGESTION OF THE DUODENUM, LUNG,
KIDNEY
• SPLENIC ENLARGEMENT
• Emaciation with flabby, brownish muscles in
chronic cases
 DIAGNOSIS
• DEMONSTRATION OF THE GAMETOCYTES IN
BLOOD SMEAR
• MEGALOSCHIZONT IN SMEARS OF THE LUNG
• DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
– Infectious Laringo Tracheitis (ILT)
– Gumboro
– Intoxication with sulfa
– Malaria disease
CONTROL/PREVENTION
Vector control, sanitation, vaccination
THERAPY:
Clopidol (coyden) will eliminate the mature
gametocytes from blood; however, this will not help
treat or prevent the symptoms or lesions.
Pyrimethamine 1 ppm
Sulfadimethoxine 10 ppm
 Pathobiology science

HAEMOPROTEOSIS
Nunuk Dyah Retno Lastuti
• Haemoproteus columbae in the blood of the
pigeon Columba livia by Kruse in 1890
(wikipedia)
• The protozoa are intracellular parasites that
infect the erythrocytes.
• They are transmitted by blood sucking insects:
Culicoides, Hippoboscidae and Tabanidae.
• Infection with this genus is sometimes known
as pseudomalaria because of the parasites'
similarities with Plasmodium species.
 LIFE CYCLE
• The infective stage is the sporozoite which is
present in the salivary glands of the vector.
• The sporozoites enter the blood stream and
invade endothelial cells of blood vessels
within various tissues : lung, liver and spleen.
• Within the endothelial cells, the sporozoites
undergo asexual reproduction becoming
schizonts.
• Schizont produce numerous merozoites which
penetrate the erythrocytes and mature, to become
macrogametocytes and microgametocytes.
• Gametocytes can be ingested by another blood-
sucking insect where they undergo sexual reproduction
in the midgut of the insect to produce oocysts.
• The oocysts rupture and release numerous sporozoites
that invade the salivary gland and serve as infection for
another host when insect takes its next blood meal.
 PATHOLOGY
• Produce subclinical infections.
• Enlargement of the spleen, liver and kidneys.
• These organs may appear chocolate-brown due
to hemozoin deposition.
• Some species of Haemoproteus will also form
large, cyst-like bodies within the skeletal muscles
that resembling those seen with Sarcocystis
species infections.
• Pigeons infected with Haemoproteus columbae
may develop enlarged gizzards.
• Experimental infection of turkeys with
Haemoproteus meleagridis resulted in
lameness, diarrhea, depression, emaciation,
anorexia and occasionally anemia.
• Muscovey ducks infected with Haemoproteus
nettionis suffered lameness, dyspnea and
sudden death.
• In other avian species, anemia, anorexia and
depression have been reported occasionally.
 AVIAN MALARIA

NUNUK DYAH RETNO LASTUTI

 ETIOLOGY
• Avian Malaria caused by Plasmodium
gallinaceum , these are of less importance for
the poultry industry
• Primarily a parasite of the domestic fowl in
Africa, Asia, South America
• The development cycle consist of
exoerythrocytic stages occur in the endothelial
cells, and the reticuloendothelial cells of the
spleen, brain and liver.
• Microbiology Image Gallery
 PATHOGENESIS
• The chicken particularly susceptible
• Adult birds may suffer a mortality up to 80% in
some areas.
• Birds become progressively emaciated,
anaemia, and spleen & liver enlargement
• Paralysis may occur to exoerythrocytic forms
in the endothelial cells of the brain capillaries.
 CONTROL
• Control mosquito populations by larvicide
• Reducing the number of potential water
catchment containers helps reduce the
mosquito breeding sites
• Therapy: Chloroquine 50 mg/kg
• Sulfamonomethoxine & Sulfachloropyrazine