Abstract
This study was carried out on free-range backyard chickens and domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) from December 2010 to November 2011 to determine the prevalence, intensity and species of internal and external parasites in Sistan region, east of Iran. Of the total of 59 (27 males and 32 females) free-range backyard chickens and 46 (26 males and 20 females) domestic pigeons inspected, 55 (93.22 %) and 39 (84.78 %) were infected respectively. Ten species of free-range backyard chickens parasites were collected from alimentary canals, body, head and neck, comprising of 3 species of nematodes, 4 species of cestodes and 3 species of ectoparasites as follows: Ascaridia galli (16.94 %), Heterakis gallinarum (23.72 %), Subulura brumpti (67.79 %), Raillietina tetragona (35.59 %), Raillietina echinobothrida (27.11 %), Raillietina cesticillus (15.25 %), Choanotaenia infundibulum (40.67 %), Argas persicus (16.94 %), Menopen gallinae (55.93 %) and Menacanthus stramineus (33.89 %). The domestic pigeons were infected with seven species of parasites including 2 species of nematodes, 2 species of cestodes and 3 species of ectoparasites as follows: Ascaridia colombae (15.21 %), Hadjelia truncata (17.39 %), Raillietina tetragona (26.08 %), Raillietina echinobothrida (28.26 %), Argas reflexus (13.04 %), Menopen gallinae (32.60 %), Columbicola Columba (41.30 %). This is the first survey to determine the prevalence and intensity of parasites among free-range backyard chicken and domestic pigeon species in Sistan region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdu PA (1987) Infectious bursal disease in pullet chicks. Avian Dis 31:204–205
Abebe W, Asfaw T, Genete B, Dorchies P (1997) Comparative studies of external parasites and gastrointestinal helminths of chickens kept under different management system in and around Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Rev Med Vet 148:497–500
Adang KL, Oniye SJ, Ajanusi JO, Ezealor AU, Abdu PA (2008a) Gastrointestinal Helminths of the Domestic Pigeons (Columba livia domestica Gmelin, 1789 Aves:Columbidae) in Zaria, Northern Nigeria. Sci World J 3:33–37
Adang KL, Oniye SJ, Ezealor AU, Abdu PA, Ajanusi JO, Yoriyo KP (2008b) Ectoparasites of the Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766) (Aves: Columbidae) in Zaria, Nigeria. Inst de Ciência Biol 9:67–71
Anderson RC (2000) Nematode parasites of vertebrates their development and transmission. CABI Publishing, Wallingford
Ashenafi H, Eshetu Y (2004) Study on gastrointestinal helminths of local chickens in central Ethiopia. Rev Med Vet 155:504–507
Beck J, Davies J (1981) Medical parasitology. The CV Mosby Company, Saint Louis, pp 318–337
Eshetu Y, Mulualem E, Ibrahim H, Berhanu A, Aberra K (2001) Study of gastro-intestinal helminths of scavenging chickens in four rural districts of Amhara region, Ethiopia. Rev Sci Tech Oie 20:791–796
Eslami A, Ghaemi P, Rahbari S (2009) Parasitic infections of free-range chickens from Golestan province, Iran. Iran J Parasitol 4:10–14
Fowler NG (1996) How to carry out a field investigation. In: Jordan ETW, Pallison M (eds) Poultry diseases, 4th edn. Saunders WB Company, London, pp 422–456
Gicik Y, Arslan MO (2001) Blood parasites of wild pigeons in Ankara districts. Turk J Vet Anim Sci 25:169–171
Haider Shah A, Nisar Khan M, Iqbal Z, Sohail Sajid M (2004) Tick infestation in poultry. Int J Agr Biol 6:1162–1165
Harlin RW (1994) Pigeons. The veterinary clinics of North America. Small Anim Pract 24:157–173
Irungu LW, Kimani RN, Kisia SM (2004) Helminth parasites in the intestinal tract of indigenous poultry in parts of Kenya. J S Afr Vet 75:58–59
Khammar GhA, Heydari A, Shahmoradi L (2011) Analysis of the status of traditional knowledge and technology in energy improvement: the case of Sistan Region, Iran. J Geogr Reg Plan 4:586–592
Mwale M, Masika PJ (2011) Point prevalence study of gastro-intestinal parasites in village chickens of Centane district, South Africa. Afr J Agric Res 6:2033–2038
Negesse T (1991) Survey of internal parasites of local chickens of Southern Ethiopia. Indian J Poult Sci 26:128–129
Nnadi PA, George SO (2010) A cross-sectional survey on parasites of chickens in selected villages in the subhumid zones of south-eastern Nigeria. J Parasitol Res 2010:1–6
Ondwassy HO, Okitoi LO, Obali MP, Simwa S, Wakhusama SW (1999) Epidemiology of helminths in indigenous poultry in western Kenya. In: de Jong R, Mukisira EA (eds) Testing of livestock technologies on smallholder mixed farms in Kenya. Kenya
Radfar MH, Norouzi Asl E, Rezaei Seghinsara H, Mirzaei Dehaghi M, Fathi S (2012) Biodiversity and prevalence of parasites of domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) in a selected semiarid zone of South Khorasan, Iran. Trop Anim Health Pro 44:225–229
Razmi GR, Kalidari GA, Maleki M (2007) First report of the Hadjelia truncata infestation in pigeons of Iran. Iran J Vet Res 8:175–177
Soulsby EJL (1982) Helminths, arthropods and protozoa of domesticated animals, 7th edn. The English Language Book Society and Bailliere Tindall, London, ISBN:10: 0702008206
Wilson KI, Yazwinski TA, Tucker CA, Johnson ZB (1994) A survey into the prevalence of poultry helminths in Northwest Arkansas commercial broiler chickens. Avian Dis 38:158–160
Acknowledgments
This project was funded by the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. We also thank Mr. Mansour Aminzadeh for his technical support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Radfar, M.H., Khedri, J., Adinehbeigi, K. et al. Prevalence of parasites and associated risk factors in domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) and free-range backyard chickens of Sistan region, east of Iran. J Parasit Dis 36, 220–225 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-012-0112-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-012-0112-5