title: Diseases of free-ranging chickens in the Qwa-Qwa District of the northeastern Free State province of South Africa.
abstract: A total of 177 free-ranging chickens from 19 Qwa-Qwa villages were bled from wing veins over a period of 6 months (June-November 2000). Serological tests indicated that 5% of chickens tested had been exposed to Newcastle disease, 43% to infectious bronchitis and 63% to Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection. McMaster and Visser sieve techniques were used to determine helminth and coccidia from pooled fresh faecal samples. Helminths isolated in 37% of the villages investigated were Heterakis, Ascaridia and Capillaria species. Eimeria species were also isolated in 32% of the villages investigated. The red fowl mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) was isolated from some of the birds and their nests. Data from a questionnaire survey indicated that all farmers interviewed had never received any technical support and that their chickens had never been vaccinated against any avian diseases. Only 10.5% of the owners interviewed had scientific knowledge on poultry diseases. There is an urgent need for the government to support free-ranging poultry farmers by providing subsidised vaccinations and technical support in order to develop and stimulate economic development in impoverished rural areas of South Africa.
authors.affiliation: Parasitology Research Programme, School of Life Sciences, University of the North- Qwa-Qwa Campus, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa. thekisoe@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M M O
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Thekisoe
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mbati
authors.forename: S P R
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Bisschop
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D009521:Newcastle Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology