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Use of pronutrients against cochlosomiasis in turkeys

31/07/2019 Author: Technonews VD

Cochlosoma anatis is a flagellated protozoa parasite that affects a wide variety of birds and causes cochlosomiasis in turkeys. It has special relevance as it causes episodes of diarrhea, weight loss and increased mortality. Predisposing factors include age, affecting to a greater extent to young birds, in which the intestinal immune system is not fully developed and co-infection with other infectious agents such as Trichomonas or Giardia can take place.

Intestinal optimizer and conditioner pronutrients are active molecules of botanical origin that optimize intestinal physiology, improving the integrity of the digestive mucosa, while stimulating the local immunity of the intestine.

Objective

Evaluate the effect of intestinal optimizer and conditioner pronutrients as a prevention and treatment against cochlosomiasis in turkeys.

Material and methods

The study was conducted at North Carolina State University (NCSU), using a total of 40 commercial turkeys.

They were divided into four experimental groups, ten turkeys each:

Negative control: no challenge.
Positive control: with challenge and without treatment.
Experimental treatment A: with challenge and treated with pronutrients in the feed at a dose of 1 kg/t throughout the trial.
Experimental treatment B: with challenge and treated with pronutrients in drinking water at a dose of 1 mL/L, from day 7 post challenge (day 21) and for 7 days.

Cochlosomiasis in turkeys: experimental groups — Table 1. Experimental groups used during the trial.

The animals were challenged orally with 1 000 000 Cochlosoma/bird at 14 days of age. To assess the effect of the treatments, a coprological analysis was performed at 7 and 14 days post challenge, to quantify the number of Cochlosoma/mL of faeces.

Results

In the case of animals treated with pronutrients in the feed throughout the trial, a reduction of 13.7% and 53.73% in the number of Cochlosoma/mL in faeces was observed at 7 and 14 days post challenge, compared to the positive control group.

Cochlosomiasis in turkeys: coprological tests performed 7 days after infection — Table 2. Results of coprological tests performed 7 days after infection. Treatment A: treatment with pronutrients in the feed.

On the other hand, in those animals treated with pronutrients in drinking water the reduction was significantly greater, decreasing by 79.03% the number of protozoa in faeces at 14 days post challenge.

Cochlosomiasis in turkeys: coprological tests after 14 days of infection — Table 3. Results of coprological tests performed at 14 days post infection. Treatment A: treatment with pronutrients in the feed. Treatment B: treatment with pronutrients in drinking water.

Conclusion

Cochlosomiasis is a parasitic disease, which causes large economic losses in turkeys, especially in young individuals. The use of intestinal conditioners and intestinal optimizers allows to prevent the infestation and reduce the parasitic load once parasitosis is established, therefore to reduce productive losses.

The intestinal optimizer and conditioner pronutrients are marketed under the name Alquernat Coneb, by Biovet S.A.

Bibliography

Cooper, G. L., H. L. Shivaprasad, A. A. Bickford, R. Nordhausen, R. J. Munn, and J. S. Jeffrey (1995). Enteritis in turkeys associated with and unusual ﬂagellated protozoan (Cochlosoma anatis). Avian Diseases. 39, pp. 183–190.

Evans, N., Evans, R., Fitz-Coy, S., Pierson, F., Robertson, J. and Lindsay, D. (2006). Identification of New Morphological and Life-Cycle Stages of Cochlosoma anatis and Experimental Transmission Using Pseudocyst. Avian Diseases, 50(1), pp.22-27.
Gharagozlou MJ, Dezfoulian O. (2009). Cochlosoma Infection in a Turkeys in Iran. Korean J Parasitol. 47, pp. 393-395.