Raillietina spp. is a parasitological agent that cause harmful losses in birds and
poultry industries and due to lack of researches on this parasite and its histological
effect we design this study.
The present investigation aimed to assess morbidity rate of Raillietina spp. infection
in pigeons and birds, beside their histopathalogical changes in intestine, kidney and
liver. Accordingly, 47 pigeons and birds (Columbidae family) were collected from
different areas in Baghdad. They included two hunted species of pigeon (Group A:
20 Columba livia and Group B: 20 Streptopelia decaoto) and further seven birds
(Group C: Columba livia domestica) were collected from a local Baghdad market.
The total morbidity rate of Raillietina spp. in pigeons was (47) 45%, while they
were 30, 50 and 70% in groups A, B and C respectively. Animal in group A showed
an increase in number of goblet cells, enlargement of columnar epithelial cell and
villi in the intestine, while in kidney and liver there were no significant changes
observed. In group B, there were necrosis and sloughing of the endothelial cells of
convoluted tubules of kidneys and had hydropic degeneration of the liver in addition
to congestion in some cases. In the intestine, there was infiltration of mononuclear
cells and increase in the number of the goblet cells. Group C showed hydropic
degenerations in the liver tissue in addition to mononuclear cell infiltration in the
portal region with scattered necrosis of the hepatocytes and congestion in some
cases, In kidneys there were sloughing in the epithelial cells of proximal convoluted
tubules, dilatation of glomeruli and dilated distal convoluted tubules, while in the
intestine, there was infiltration of mononuclear cells and increase in the number of
goblet cells. |