Excretion of Histomonas meleagridis following experimental co-infection of distinct chicken lines with Heterakis gallinarum and Ascaridia galli

Table 1 Number of birds used for sample generation to quantify variables describing worm burdens, nematode egg and histomonad excretions through host feces, serological investigations and histopathology

Subject		Weeks post infection								Total	Sum
Subject		2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total	Sum
Chickens examined for worm burdens	Infected	24	12	12	30	12	12	12	25	139	234^a
Chickens examined for worm burdens	Control	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	11	95	234^a
Feces samples examined for histomonad excretion	Infected	24	12	12	30	12	12	12	25	139	234^a
Feces samples examined for histomonad excretion	Control	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	11	95	234^a
Feces samples examined for nematode egg excretion	Infected	n.d. ^b	12	12	24	12	12	12	24	108	191^c
Feces samples examined for nematode egg excretion	Control	n.d.	12	12	12	12	12	12	11	83	191^c
Plasma samples examined for serology	Infected	24	12	12	30	12	12	12	25	138	234
Plasma samples examined for serology	Control	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	11	95	234
Cecum samples examined for histopathology	Infected	9	n.d.	n.d.	9	n.d.	n.d.	n.d.	9	27	36
Cecum samples examined for histopathology	Control	3	n.d.	n.d.	3	n.d.	n.d.	n.d.	3	9	36

Samples collected from infected or uninfected birds of all three host lines, namely Ross 308, Lohmann Brown Plus and Lohmann Dual (LD), are given. With the exception of two additional LD chickens at wpi 9, the numbers of samples were equal among three host lines
^aTotal number of samples
^bn.d. = not done
^cThirty-six samples taken at wpi 2 were not examined for the concentration of nematode eggs in gram feces (EPG), because nematode egg excretion was not expected at that time point (wpi 2). Additionally, the amount of seven fecal samples (6 collected at wpi 5 and 1 at wpi 9) was not sufficient for determining EPG

ISSN: 1756-3305