title: Baruscapillaria obsignata: a serious cause of enteropathy and high mortality in turkeys (meleagris gallopavo).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Capillariasis, an important parasitic disease of birds is caused at least by seven different genera of trichurid nematodes with clinical outcome ranging from mild enteritis to high mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was aimed to investigate the causative agent involved in high mortality associated with severe enteric illness among turkey flocks in an organized commercial poultry farm at Bareilly, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Turkey carcasses (n = 119) and fecal samples from the affected deep litter pen constituted as the study materials. The disease was investigated by systematic necropsy, direct microscopy and histopathology. Representative samples were screened for other enteric pathogens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microscopic examination of mucosal scraping revealed capillarid worms and their eggs in all the samples. The morphological features of adult worms were typically consistent to Baruscapillaria obsignata. Histopathology exhibited thickened muscular and mucosal layers, mononuclear and heterophilic infiltration in the lamina propria, blunting and clubbing of villi, epithelial denudation and sections of capillarid worms. Administration of levamisole at 80 ppm in drinking water reduced the mortality, clinical illness and worm load after three days of therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The capillarid worms in different avian hosts can cause different clinical manifestations and outcomes. From India, this is the first report describing intestinal pathology caused by B. obsignata in turkeys. We conclude that the B. obsignata infection is capable of causing life threatening enteropathy in turkeys and, hence, routine screening, scheduled deworming and good litter management are crucial to control the infection and its associated loss.
authors.affiliation: a Avian Diseases Section, Division of Pathology , ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Munuswamy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palanivelu
authors.affiliation: a Avian Diseases Section, Division of Pathology , ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Mariappan Asok
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: a Avian Diseases Section, Division of Pathology , ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Shambhu Dayal
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: b Division of Parasitology , ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Annamalai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Latchumikanthan
authors.affiliation: c Division of Biochemistry , ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Sharanabasav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Badami
authors.affiliation: d Division of Avian Physiology and Reproduction , ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Gautham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kolluri
authors.affiliation: a Avian Diseases Section, Division of Pathology , ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Rajendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: a Avian Diseases Section, Division of Pathology , ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Kuldeep
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dhama
authors.affiliation: e Director, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute , Izatnagar, Bareilly , India.
authors.forename: Raj Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017189:Enoplida Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004751:Enteritis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D014259:Trichuroidea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014422:Turkeys
keywords: Baruscapillaria obsignata; Capillariasis; Meleagris gallopavo; Turkey; enteropathy