20
Piroplasmosis of the Demestic Fowl
large rings, and 'rosette' forms of A.
pullorum. The erythrocytes showed dis-
tinct polychromatia but it was notable
that only the non-infected red cells had
undergone this change. Coles' haemato-
zoon was also present in small numbers
and seemed to have undergone no appa-
rent change in numbers as a result of the
bites of infected ticks. The symptoms
described above, particularly anæmia and
emaciation, progressed till death occurred
27 days after the first appearance of A.
pullorum in one case and 30 days in the
other. Diarrhoea was noticed two days
before death. No signs of paralysis were
noticed in the legs or wings.
It may be mentioned that mortality
from aegyptianellosis has been also re-
corded from many other countries.
Carpano [1929] originally described ruffl-
ed feathers, fever, loss of appetite, drowsi-
ness, paralysis and death as symptomatic
of the disease among the imported fowls
in Egypt. A fatal form of toe disease
was also reported by Donatien and Lesto-
quard [1931] from Algeria, Gillain [1935]
from Belgian Congo, Debonera [1933]
from Greece and Yakimoff [1933] from
the U. S. S. R. Coles [1933] described loss
of appetite, dejection, diarrhoea and some-
times icterus as symptomatic of the
disease in young chickens which had
become infected during the first few days
of life. Paralysis and fever reported by
Carpano [1929] as characteristic of the
disease were not noticed by the writer.
The factors governing the pathogeni-
city of A, pullorum do not appear to be
properly understood, but age and immuni-
ty, possibly due to contact with A. persi-
cus seem to play some part in its deter-
mination. Thus, fowls imported from
countries free from Argas, and among
them the younger birds, appear to suffer
most.
POST-MORTEM APPEARANCES
The carcases of both the chickens
showed similar anatomical changes.
There was a well-marked thinness of
muscles and general anaemia; the body
cavity contained a slightly blood-tinged
serous fluid and its walls were sparsely
petechiated; the spleen was enlarged to
about three times its normal size, its
parenchyma being purplish in colour; the
liver was also enlarged and appeared to
be more friable; the pericardial sac con-
tained a slightly blood-tinged fluid and the
epicardium showed a few petechiae; and
the alimentary canal showed nothing un-
usual. Smears of heart blood showed
numerous A. pullorum (86 per cent ery-
throcytes were infected) and an almost
similar infestation was found in smears
from the lungs, liver and spleen. Poly-
chromatia was noticeable in all the smears.
Coles [1933] has mentioned icterus as one
of the changes in his cases, but this change
was not observed by the present writer.
TREATMENT
During the treatment of the first
White Leghorn hen for spirochaetosis
(supra) it was noticed that an intramus-
cular injection of soamin (1.5 grain) did
not have any effect on A. pullorum or
Coles' haematozoon, although the treatment
caused the disappearance of Spirochaeta
anserinum. A second injection of soamin
(1 grain) given to the same hen two days
later also failed to have any effect.
According to Hutyra, Marek and Man-
ninger [1938], Stovarsol in doses of five
centigrammes per os has a favourable
effect on anaemia, although it does not
kill the parasites (A. pullorum). Dona-
tien and Lestoquard [1934] studied the
effect of Stovarsol, Gonacrine, Trypan
Blue and Icthargan on affected pullets.
They found that Stovarsol was useful in
cases of anaemia only and among the other
drugs Icthargan was efficacious only after
a second injection. In the hands of Curas-
son [1938], however, two intra-muscular
injections of Gonacrine gave the best
results. On the whole, therefore, the
position regarding the chemotherapy of
aegyptianellosis must be regarded as
unsatisfactory.
SUMMARY
1. The occurrence of Aegytianella
pullorum Carpano and of a haematozoon