A COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION OF AN OUTBREAK OF CONCOMITANT PARASITIC INFECTIONS IN BACKYARD POULTRY

A study was conducted to investigate the presence of parasitic infection in a poultry flock during an outbreak. A total of 32 Kadaknath birds died out of 600 birds. The succumbed birds had a history of anorexia, loose feces, and sudden death. During the necropsy, the birds were examined externally and internally, which revealed creamish-white coloured multifocal necrotic foci on the liver parenchyma with diffusely congested hepatic tissue and a severe, diffuse condition of the lungs. The examination of the intestines of the affected birds showed severe and diffuse catarrhal enteritis resulting from roundworms present in the small intestine and the caecum of the birds, eventually causing button-shaped round lesions on the mucosal surface. The birds were found to be infected with Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Histomonas meleagridis

Hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effect of Artemisia nilagirica leaf extract on E. coli challenged broiler chicken

Artemisia nilagirica is an important medicinal plant found to exhibit several medicinal properties but the use of its leaves for combating E. coli infection has not been scientifically validated in poultry. The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of methanol leaf extract of A. nilagirica (ANE) on E. coli challenged broiler chickens. Three hundred and thirty, day-old broiler chickens, were divided into 6 groups of 55 each, with group EX infected intraperitoneally (I/P) with LD50 dose of 1 × 107 cfu/ml of E. coli; group(s) EA1, EA2 and EA3 infected I/P with 1 × 107 cfu/ml of E. coli and supplemented with ANE @ 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/L of drinking water, respectively; group AX were only given ANE @ 2.0 g/L in the drinking water. ANE treatment was started from day 4 and was continuously given in the drinking water up to day 21. E. coli infection was given to the birds on day 7 of their age. The effect of the plant extract was evaluated on the basis of gross, microscopic and ultrastructural alterations in E. coli challenged broiler chickens. The extract of A. nilagirica was found to show antibacterial, cardioprotective and hepatoprotective properties in a dose-dependent manner on the basis of gross and microscopic examination. The methanol extract of A. nilagirica leaves revealed no toxic effect on the hepatocytes on ultrastructural evaluation. This study demonstrates the antimicrobial, hepatoprotective and cardioprotective activities of ANE in broiler chickens infected with E. coli organism