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 Leucocytozoon sp., with a prevalence rate of 448 (8.9%) occurring
in both male and female chickens examined. Plasmodium 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. Ascaridia sp. infected 1232 (24.4%) of the chickens
and 336 (60%) of the turkeys were examined. The only cestode observed was Raillietina 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.
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