The first report of morbidity and mortality in golden pheasant, chrysolophus pictus, due to a mixed infection of heterakis gallinarum and h. isolonche in iran

Abstract

Following deaths in a flock of Golden Pheasants, Chrysolophus pictus, in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran, during June 2008, necropsies of dead birds were undertaken and revealed a heavy mixed infection of Heterakis isolonche and H. gallinarum in the caeca, which were heavily swollen with gross nodules on the surface. Infected caeca were studied histopathologically and surviving birds were treated with fenbendazole 2.5% (20 mg/kg), with a second course 3 weeks later. No further mortality was seen in the flock. This is the first documented report of Heterakis isolonche in Iran, and also the first report of a concurrent infection of 2 species of Heterakis in birds in Iran ©TÜBİTAK.