%0 Journal Article
%T Blood and Gastrointestinal Parasites of Chickens and Turkeys Reared in the  Tropical Rainforest Zone of  Southeastern Nigeria
%A M. N. Opara
%A D. K. Osowa
%A J. A. Maxwell
%J Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine
%P 308-313
%@ 2165-3364
%D 2014
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ojvm.2014.412037
%X The blood and gastrointestinal (GI)
parasites of chickens and turkeys reared in Owerri, Southeastern Nigeria were
studied. Out of 5600 birds, 5040 (90%) were chickens and 560 (10%) were
turkeys. Of these birds, 672 (12%) were infected with blood parasites, of which
448 (8.9%) were chickens and 224 (40%) turkeys. The blood parasites found in
chickens were <i>Leucocytozoon</i> sp., with a prevalence rate of 448 (8.9%) occurring
in both male and female chickens examined. <i>Plasmodium</i> sp. was found in the
turkeys and it gave a prevalence of 224 (40%). 1792 (32%) of the birds were
infected with faecal parasites, out of which, 1456 (28.9%) were chickens and
336 (60%) turkeys examined. <i>Ascaridia</i> sp. infected 1232 (24.4%) of the chickens
and 336 (60%) of the turkeys were examined. The only cestode observed was <i>Raillietina</i> spp., which infected 224 (4.4%) of the chickens, but none in the
turkeys. Generally, low blood and faecal infections were observed in the
chickens, while infections in the turkeys were slightly higher.
%K Blood
%K Gastrointestinal
%K Chickens
%K Turkeys
%K Tropical Rainforest
%K Nigeria
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=52260