DISEASE SUMMARY PAGE

Ascaridia (Ascarid) Infection in Waterfowl:

Summary Information
Diseases / List of Parasitic Diseases / Disease summary
Alternative Names
  • Intestinal Nematode Infection

See also: Heterakis Infection (Heterakis (Ascarid) Infection), Contracaecum Infection (Contracaecum (Ascarid) Infection), and Porrocaecum (Porrocaecum (Ascarid) Infection).
Disease Agents Ascaridia galli, ascarid nematode; eggs ingested directly or via paratenic (transport) hosts (earthworms and grasshoppers). Thick, yellowish-white, males 50-76mm long, female 60-116mm long, eggs 73-92 x 45-57µm, elliptical, thick smooth shell (B24, B32.33.w13).
Infectious Agent(s)
Non-infectious Agent(s) --
Physical Agent(s) -- Indirect / Secondary
General Description May be found in waterfowl.

Clinical disease seen mainly in juvenile chickens up to three months old:

  • Clinical signs: Weight loss, diarrhoea and anaemia
  • Post mortem findings: haemorrhagic enteritis associated with larvae in mucosa, anaemia and emaciation associated with adults. Occasionally blockage of the intestine with severe infection. Occasionally found in the oesophagus, crop, gizzard, oviduct, body cavity (B32.33.w13).

(B24, B32.33.w13).
Further Information In chickens, weight loss is correlated with size of worm burden and synergistic effect has been reported e.g. with coccidiosis (B32.33.w13).

For information on routine parasite control see Preventative Medicine for Birds - Parasite screening and Routine Control Measures
Techniques linked to this disease
WaterfowlINDEXDisInvTrCntr.gif (2325 bytes)
Host taxa groups /species
Disease has been reported in either the wild or in captivity in the following WATERFOWL Species:
Disease has been reported in free-ranging populations of the following WATERFOWL Species: --
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