Postharmostomiasis in wild turkeys in New Mexico.
Postharmostomum gallinum (Trematoda: Digenea; Brachylaimidae) is reported for the second time from the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in North America. Seventy-six, 14 and three sexually mature specimens, respectively, were removed from the ceca of three of five wild turkeys collected in south-eastern New Mexico (USA). Local transmission of this infection was inferred since 10 immature specimens of P. gallinum also were collected from one host. In the turkey with the greatest intensity of mature trematodes, a concurrent hemorrhagic inflammation of the cecum apparently was associated with this infection. Specimens of P. gallinum from these wild turkeys were morphologically indistinguishable from, but their body and egg measurements were larger than, specimens described from the usual Eurasian galliform and columbiform hosts.
Department of Pathology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock 79430.
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D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002432:Cecum / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D014200:Trematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014422:Turkeys / Q000469:parasitology*