title: Prevalence of malaria parasites in turkeys of the Nsukka area in the Anambra State, Nigeria.
abstract: Blood smears of 202 turkeys (94 males and 108 females) in the Nsukka area (Nigeria) were examined for malaria parasites. Among the turkeys examined 44.1% (95% confidence interval, 0.441 +/- 0.069) were infected with Plasmodium spp., 46.8% males and 41.7% females. A total of 175 adults and 27 growing turkeys (aged 6-16 weeks) were examined and 45.7 and 33.3%, respectively were infected. Twenty out of 60 reared turkeys under intensive management systems and 65 of 142 turkeys managed semi-intensively were infected. The mean PCV value for the infected turkeys was 29.95 +/- 3.36% and significantly different (P less than 0.01) from the mean PCV value of 37.3 +/- 3.7 obtained from the uninfected turkeys. Eleven out of the 89 positive cases were clinical cases. Four critically sick turkeys died one day after treatment. Chloroquine phosphate at 5 mg/kg body weight administered i.m daily for 3 days or 250 mg tablets given orally for 5 days as well as a parenteral administration of pyrimethamine (0.3 mg/kg body weight) for 2 days were effective in the treatment of the infection.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nasukka.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Orajaka
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Anene
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dike
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008289:Malaria, Avian / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014422:Turkeys