Animal Research International (2020) 17(3): 3829 – 3835 3829

FATAL INFECTION IN IN JOS, NORTH CENTR AL NIGERIA : A CASE REPORT

1 GURUMYEN, George Yilzem, 1 BUBA, Deborah Maigawu, 1 ORAGWA, Arthur Obinna, 2 PATROBAS, Maryam Nyeta, 1 POLYCARP, Tanko Nwunuji, 3 DUNKA, Hassana Isaac, 4 OZIEGBE, Stanley David, 1 TIZHE, Emmanuel Vandi and 5 UBACHUKWU, Chidiebere Chiemerie 1 Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. 2 Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterina ry Medicine, University of Jos, Plateau State , Nigeria . 3 Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. 4 Department of Theriogenology and Production, Faculty of Ve terinary Medicine, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. 5 Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka , Enugu State, Nigeria .

Corresponding Author: Gurumyen, G. Y. Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Patho logy, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Email: [email protected] Phone: +234 8030639783

Received August 19, 2020; Revised September 04, 2020; Accepted September 05 , 2020

ABSTRACT

Postmortem examination of chickens from a semi - intensive system was carried out following complaint of high mortality , loss of weight, sneezing and raising of heads and gaping . The farm had other types of which were also evaluated to ascertain their risk of transmission of Syngamus trachea . Lesions seen included anaemia, hyperemia of the trachea containing forked red warms ( S. trachea ), congested and haemorrhagic and presence of Raillietina tetragona in the small intestine. Histologically, there was necrotizing trachiesis , pulmonary congestion and haemorrhages . To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is t he first case report of S. trachea in Jos, North Centr al Nigeria .

Key words: Syngamus trachea , , Case report, Pathology , Jos, Nigeria

INTRODUCTION verandas or stores ( Guèye , 2000 ; Ekue et al ., 2002). Most of these rural family poultry Poultry is the second most important income production systems use the indigenous or local generating business for household s in Nigeria types of chicken and sometimes their crosses and it has been estimated that more than 80 % with exotic breeds and are therefore maintained of the poultry population of the world is found with low inputs ( Guèye , 2000) . in traditional family - based poultry production Syngamus trachea ( Montagu 1811) is a system ( Sonaiya et al ., 1999 ; Alabi et al ., 2006) . affecting the respiratory system of In t hese traditional settings , semi intensive birds. It is also called “red worm”, “ forked system is usually practiced, allowing the birds to worms ” or “ gape worms ” because of their scavenge around in the day time on obvious colo u r, male s joined to the female in , household refuse, insects, residues permanent copulation and clinical manifestation from the harvest but gather at night in of gasping respectively (Saif et al., 2008). prepared chicken barns , perch o n trees, Recovery of gapeworm, emaciation and pale

ISSN: 1597 – 3115 ARI 2020 17(3): 3829 – 3835 www.zoo - unn.org Gurumyen et al. 3830 carcass , nodule, inflammation, congestion and Three days l ater, four more chickens died and bloody exudates in the trachea were the six carcasses were all submitted for post documented as gross fi ndings in syngamiasis mortem examination. (Clapham, 1935; Nevarez et al ., 2002; Narayana n et al ., 2014; Manjunatha et al ., Post Mortem Examination : Six fresh and 2017 ; de Paula et al ., 2018 ). Microscopically, severely emaciated carcasses were submitted at marked inflammatory reactions with leucocytes two different occasions from the same infiltrations into the mucosa, occasionally giant compound for post mortem examination . They cells, and fibrosis around nodular lesion had all had severe mite infestation and moderately been reported in S. trachea infection in birds pale comb s and wattle s (anaemia). The (Clapham, 1935; Narayana n et al ., 2014). The trachea e were hyperemic (5/6) and they ty pe of housing system for birds has been contained moderate amount of blood tinged reported to determine the level of infection by with forked red worms ( Figure 1 a – d ) . helminth s; with semi intensive system providing The lungs were moderately congested (5/6), a favo u rable environment for high worm moderate fibrin exudation ( 4/6), locally infection resulting to high worm burden extensive ecchymotic haemorrhages (4/6) and (Poulsen et al., 2000; Phiri et al ., 2007; Vieira et oedematous (6/6). There was presence of al ., 2015). Many wild birds may act as reservoirs worms in the duodenum d own to the ileum of the parasite and transmission of S. trachea (4/6) which were identified as Ra illi e tina between wild and domestic hosts has been tetragona . demonstrated (Fernando and Barta, 2008) . Intestinal content from birds posted and feacal samples from different birds in the CASE PRESENTATION compound collected randomly were examined by modified floatation technique of Dryden et al. The study was carried out between July and ( 2005 ) and the outcome presented on Table 1 . October 2019 in a farm located within the Adult S. trachea , eggs of S. trachea and University of Jos Senior Staff Quarters, Bauchi Raillietina tetr a gon a were identified ( Permin and Road, Jos Plateau State. The birds were bought Hansen, 1998 ; Butboonchoo et al., 2016 ) and at day - old from commercial hatchery and presented in Figure 2 a – d. brooded in a wooden cage during which they were vaccinated against Gumboro and Histopathological Findings : The lungs were Newcastle diseases. At six weeks old , the birds severely o edematous and haemorr h agic ( Figure were allowed to scavenge within the compound 3 a – d ) . There were also marked infiltrations of which was fenced with wires. Within the inflammatory cells throughout the compound, there were different species of birds, parenchyma. The tracheal mucosa had necrotic including geese, pigeons, guinea fowl and debri s mixed with inflammatory cells. The turkeys of different ages. These birds shared epithelium showed necrotic cilia while the common feeders and drinkers and were u sually submucosa had numerous inflammatory cellular fed with commercial feed , maize or even maize infiltrates . bran depen ding on what was available. There were about 120 birds apart from the pigeons, DISCUSSION and they were treated against mites by dipping in acaricide solution several weeks earlier. The The gross findings such as emaciation, anaemia, chickens were however observed to be losing congestion of lungs, presence of red worms and weight, sneezing and raising heads up and hyperemic trachea observed in this study were gaping . Two of the chickens which were eight similar to those reported by Stadler and weeks old died four days following the Carpenter (1996) Fernando and Barta (2008) ob servation of the aforementioned clinical signs. and Abraham et al . (2010 ).

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Figure 1: Pictures taken at post mortem showing A: Severely cachexic chicken carcass. B: Congested, haemorrhagic and oedematous lungs with necrotic areas. C and D: presence of red forked worms within the trachea containing mucoid material

Table 1: Helminths from other sampled These were likely due to the irritation caused by birds from the compound the mechanical damage by worms in the Birds Helminth Number of birds trachea leading to stress and inflammatory eggs Infected associated response. Emaciation and paleness Guinea Syngamus 3 of the carcasses occasioned by syngamosis fowl trachea Geese Raillietina 2 were partly adduced to the blood sucking ability tetragona of the worms (Moynihan and Musfeldt, 1950; Ascaridia galli 1 Narayana n et al ., 2014 ; de Paula et al ., 2018 ). Pigeon Capillaria 3 The severe decrease in weight of chickens may columbae partly also be attributed to decrease in Ascaridia galli 5 Capillaria 4 nutritional status of birds as a result of retusa inappetence and or reduced feed consumption Capillaria 5 (Herbert et al., 2009). The parasite mass in the annulata trachea may lead to asphyxiation which may Strongyle egg 1 culminate into the death of the birds as Turkey S. trachea 3 Ascaridia galli 2 observed in this study and this corroborates Capillaria 2 earlier findings on syngamosis (Clapham, 1935). annulata Microscopically, necrosis of the respiratory Duck Railietina 3 epitheli um of the trachea, necrotic debris mixed tetragona with inflammatory cells, severe inflammatory Total 34 cells infiltration into the submucosa of the

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Figure 2: A: Adult S. trachea, B: Eggs of S. trachea. C and D: Raillietina tetragona . Mag. x 400 trachea, and severe vascular congestion in the carriers of the parasite . Doneley ( 2006 ) lungs observed in this study are in tandem with indicated that the common worms found in the reports of Narayanan et al . (2014). The pigeons are Ascaridia spp . and Capillaria spp . recorded lesions in the trachea may be as a and these were similar to the findings of this result of th e irritation caused by the parasites study . Only the turkeys and guinea fowl had S. presence as earlier documented ( de Paula et al ., trachea eggs but did not show clinical 2018 ). T he reduced feed consumption by the manifestations (implying they could be reservoir birds may have led to compromised immune of the parasite and possible source of infection system , consequently resulting in the increased to the chickens) . A survey by Fatunmbi and lodgments of th e parasite s on the tracheal wall Olufemi ( 1982 ) identified helminth eggs /or (Fernando and Barta, 2008). The e xamination of oocyst of Heterakis spp ., Capillaria s p p ., fecal samples from th e other birds in the Dispha rynx (Acuria) s p p ., Prostogonimus s p p . compound was to establish the likely risk of and Hymenolepis spp. in the gast r o - intestine of transmission of S . trachea between the birds guinea fowl s in Ibadan , Nigeria , while Fabiyi and and domestic chickens. However, all the pigeons Offiong ( 1979 ) , reported a clinical disease of S. sampled did not reveal the presence of S . trachea in the same species of birds. trachea eggs , indicating low risk of serving as

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Figure 3: Representative photomicrograph of chicken: A and B: Lungs showing severely congested blood vessels (star), haemorrhages (arrow) and edema (arrow head) [×4 and ×10 objective lens respe ctively]. C and B: Trachea showing epithelial necrosis (black arrow) and inflammatory cellular infiltrates (asterisk) in the submucosa (×4 and × 10 objective lens respectively) . H & E Mag. x 400

This shows that chickens are more susceptible ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to S. trachea infection than turkeys and guinea fowl. Although birds in the compound fed from We wish to appreciate the technologist in the the same feeding troughs, pigeons, ducks and Department of Veterinary Parasitology and geese did not seem to harbor S. trachea. Entomology, University of Jos; Mr. Francis Istifanus Wamtas and Mr. Tarkumbul T. Godwin Conclusion : This study described for the very for analyzing feacal samples. first time, cases of fatal S. trachea in local Nigerian chickens kept together with other birds REFERENCES in Jos, N orth C entral Nigeria. We also found that S . trachea is more pathogenic to local ch ickens ABRAHAM, S. S., GEORGE, A., JULIE, B., compared to other birds. Hig h mortality GOPAKUMAR , S. and VISWANATHAN , H. recorded in the flock may be as a result of ( 2010 ) . Syngamus trachea infestation in asphyxia occasioned by the mass of the parasite . Zoos' Print, 25(2) : 25 – 28 . in the trachea of the affected birds. Based on ALABI , R. A., ESOBHAWAN , A. O. and ARUNA, these findings, i t was concluded that raring local M. B. ( 200 6) . Econometric determination chickens together with other birds may increase of contribution of family poultry to the ri sk for S. trachea infection, especially women’s income in Niger Delta , Nigeria. where the birds are infected with no clinical Journal of Central European Agriculture, signs. 7(4) : 753 – 760.

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Animal Research International (2020) 17(3): 3829 – 3835