Trichomonas spp. (1)

Question 1

What are the hosts?

Answer 1

Domestic and wild fowl

 - Pigeons
 - Doves
 - Hawks
 - Turkeys
 - Wild Turkeys
 - Chickens
 - Raptors
 - Golden eagles, etc.

Question 2

How do you identify?

Answer 2

Pear shaped

5-19 x 2-9 micro m

Single nucleus

4 anterior flagella

Axostyle

Free posterior flagellum absent

Question 3

Explain the life cycle

Answer 3

Trophozoites reside in oral-nasal cavity/upper digestive tract (crop, esophagus, and pharynx)

Multiply by binary fission

3 modes of infection
- Infective trophozoites passed from adult pigeons/doves to young
(squabs) in “pigeon’s milk” (nutritive exudate of crop epithelium)
- Turkeys/Chickens - via recently contaminated drinking water
- Trophozoites live only a short time outside host
- Wild birds may be important source of introducing infection to
domestic birds
- Birds of Prey: Feeding on infected prey bird

Question 4

What is the site of infection?

Answer 4

Mouth

Crop

Esophagus

Pharynx

Question 5

What is the common name?

Answer 5

Canker - Pigeons

Frounce - Hawks

Question 6

Describe the Pathogenesis

Answer 6

Cankers in mouth - small yellowish lesions (“cankers”)

Avian trichomoniasis - disease of young birds

 - Severity depends on susceptibility 
        - And on pathogenic potential of strain

Adult birds that recover can still carry parasite

 - Resistant to reinfection
 - Do not show signs of infection

Young birds
- Early lesions appear as small white to yellowish in areas in mouth
cavity
- Consist of inflammation/ulceration of mucosal surface

Acute cases
- Little indication that bird is infected
- Death may occur suddenly
- Infected pigeon squabs may stop feeding, lose weight, look
ruffled/dull, unable to maintain balance

Diarrhea

Death may occur within 3 weeks of infection

Greenish fluid/cheesy material may accumulate in mouth/crop - may
exude
from
beak