72
Hafez, H.M & R. Hauck
Institute of Poultry DiseasesFree University Berlin
Histomonosis in Germany: Situation since 2004
Governmental regulations
Since 1995there are no products available for treatment
of histomonosis for poultryin the EU.
Governmental regulations
Layer flock Free range
1999
Blackhead disease in layers
(Hafez et al., 2001)
Governmental regulations
Since April 2003 there are no prophylactic
drugs against histomonosis for turkeys available in the EU.
Governmental regulations
Nifursol rest in peace
April 1st 2003
Histomonosis: Current Situation
Date State Affected birds
Age in
Weeks
Total No. Of birds on farm
June 2003 Hessen 9 000 8 9 000
Aug. 2003 Niedersachsen 9 000 5 15 000
Dec. 2003 Baden-Württ. 3 500 7 15 000
April 2004 Niedersachsen 2 500 7 15 000
May 2004 Niedersachsen 2 500 7 25 000
May 2004 Sachsen-Anhalt 4 000 11 8 000
June 2004 Bayern 15 000 8 15 000
Aug. 2004 Niedersachsen 4 500 4 16 000
Sept. 2004 Baden-Württ. 5 000 7 10 000
Feb. 2005 Brandenburg 12 000 5 16 000
Total 10 Outbreaks 66.000 - 144 000
Histomonosis
2005 No. Of samples
No. Of
Positive samples
%
Layers 5 3 60
Broiler breeders 1 1 100
Meat turkeys 19 7
Turkey breeder 6 2 33
Unknown 7 0 0
38 13
Histomonosis
Histomonas
Other Flagellates
Negative-Control
Histomonas
Other Flagellates
Negative-Control
qPCR
Situation in Germany between 2004-2012
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
number of cases number of samples
Number of cases and samples investigatedfor H. meleagridis 2004 - 2012
Cases Samples325 813
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
pos neg susp
Samples
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
pos neg susp
Number of positive and negative cases2004 - 2012
+ - +/-154 169 247% 52% 1%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
pos neg sus
Seasonal distribution ofpositive and negative samples in %
No. of positive and negative casesin chickens and turkeys
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Chickens pos Chickens neg Turkeys pos Turkeys neg
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%Chickens
Turkeys
Chickens
Turkeys
Chickens
Turkeys
Chickens
Turkeys
Chickens
Turkeys
Chickens
Turkeys
Chickens
Turkeys
Chickens
Turkeys
Chickens
Turkeys
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
% of positive and negative casesin chickens and turkeys
No. of positive and negative casesin other species
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Other (mostly peafowl) pos Other (mostly peafowl) neg Not known pos Not known neg
Genotyping of H. meleagridis by C-profiling
- The primers used by van der van den Heijden et al. are designed to amplify also the DNA of other Trichomonads
- As we had samples with trichomonal DNA we designed a primer set more specific forH. meleagridis (Hauck et al. 2010)
Genotyping of H. meleagridis by C-profiling
ssu rRNA 5.8s rRNA lsu rRNAITS 1 ITS 2*Hauck et al, 2010; modified after van der Heijden et al, 2006
1
2
3
4
C-profiling – ITS 1
A
B
C
D
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Turkey Chickens Peafowl unknownA B C D
C-profiling – ITS 1
Case reports
Turkey breeder farm
Turkey Breeder Farm
1 2 3
2005
Day Cumulative Mortality -House 3
2005 (17W)
0 15 (0.27 %)
1 58 (1.04 %)
2 355 (6.34 %)
3 780 (13.93 %)
4 1437 (25.66 %)
Turkey breeder farm2005
Turkey Breeder Farm
1 2 3
2009
Day Cumulative Mortality - House 2
2009 (8W)
0 6 (0.29 %)
1 40 (1.92 %)
2 60 (2.87 %)
3 114 (5.46 %)
4 298 (14.27 %)
5 754 (36.11 %)
6 1352 (64.75 %)
Turkey breeder farm2009
0
20
40
60
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
cumulative mortality (%)
June 2005,
Week 17 Sept.2009,Week 8
25.7%
(64.8%)
June 2005
September 2009
Type A
C-profling – ITS 1
A
A
- Certified organic production of crops, cattle, pigs, and different species of poultry: Layers, broilers, turkeys, ducks, geese
- Bakery, farm store, holiday apartments
Organic Farm
- Young poultry (all species) is raised for the first 3 weeks in groups of 250 –500 birds in the “garage”
Organic Farm
- Then the groups are moved to different sites:
- “barn” with 5 compartments on 3 floors- “duck house”, 1 compartment- “pig house”, 1 compartment- layer house, 3 x 1400 layers- 6 mobile barns
Organic Farm
August 2005Mobile barnType BLayer flock:H. gallinarumNo Histomonas
8-9 week
August 2005Mobile barnType BLayer flock:H. gallinarumNo Histomonas
May 2008Mobile barnTyp A
8-9 week
August 2005Mobile barnType BLayer flock:H. gallinarumNo Histomons
May 2008Mobile barnTyp A
Fall 2008
„Pig house “Type BBroiler
„Barn“Type A Turkeys
„Barn“
„Duck house“Broiler Typ ?
Layer flock (seperate barn):No Histomonas
8-9 week
55 days
9 weeks
60 days
0
100
200
300
400
500
October November December
Mortality in Broilers
Total: 67 %
Total: 100 %
- High mortality in broilers certainly not (only) the result of the infection with H. meleagridis
- Co-infections of H. meleagridis and E. tenella are known to aggravate symptoms* *Hu & McDougald, 2001
Organic Farm
- All typed strains were either type A (turkeys May 2008 and fall 2008) or B (turkeys August 2005 and broilers fall 2008)
- We were not able to show, that the chickens were the source of infections for the turkeys
- Persistence of the causing strains on the farm is possible
Organic Farm
Week 4-5
Move to other barn100
200
300
400
500
600
700
53 54 55 56
cum
ulat
ive m
orta
liti
es
1 4 1525
57 58 59 60
54
152
183
238
Turkey-Farm
House 1 House 2
Wire mesh
• Separate entrances to the toms on the other side of the houses with disinfection
• Second wire mesh with 1 m distance• Addition of new litter every day• Natural products via drinking water immediate (Ropadiar)
• Natural products via feed next day
no effect
Turkey-Farm
Immediate measures
Turkey-Farm
• After toms were euthanized:– Litter from house 2
was brought to house 1– Backpart of house 2 was
cleaned and disinfected– Fresh litter – Hens from house 1 were brought to house 2
• House 1 with litter – house 2 with hens
2620 hens
2620 hens
House 1 House 2
Control of litter
• Litter taken after the euthanization for control using PCR Result
Negative
Litter taken after the euthanization for Litter taken after the euthanization for parasitologyparasitology
Result
Negative
• Cloacal swabs were taken and contolled usingPCR
Date PCR result
10.02.2007 Negative
21.03.2007 Negative
Control of hens
Neither symptoms nor mortality could be observedin the hens all the time.The hens were slaughtered at week 16As well as the toms between these hens
Attempted treatments with “alternative” products in field cases of histomonosis in turkeys
Product Ingredients (manufacturer) Application
AD3EC Vitamins A, D3, E, and C 0.05% in water
Biostrong Microencapsulated essential oils, herbal
compounds, and an acid complex
0.05% in feed
Hemmopain Vitamin E, methionin, and herbs 0.05% in water
Histosan Herbal extracts and essential oils 0.3% in feed
Klat-Arom Flavouring substances 0.01% in water
Mineral flüssig Various minerals 0.05% in water
Ropadiar Oregano extract 0.02% in water
Spuracid Various trace elements and minerals,
especially copper
0.2% in water
Ventrarctin Extracts of chamomile, peppermint, common
yarrow, and sorbic acid
6% in water
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Killing
Slaughter
or
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Killing
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Killing
Histomonosis – Control approaches
0
1
2
3
4
4 5 7 8 11
Age in weeks
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Killing
Histomonosis – Control approaches
*- CO2 - Gas in container
*- CO2 - Gas directly in poultry house
*- Electric water bath system
*- Neck dislocation
*- T61- injection
*- CO - Gas in small container
*- CO - Gas directly in poultry house
Stamping out
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Histomonosis – Control approaches
CO2 - Gas in container
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Mobile electrical water bath system
Histomonosis – Control approaches
neck dislocation
Histomonosis – Control approaches
T 61 injection
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Rendering
Disposal of carcasses
Histomonosis – Control approaches
Dr. Christina PoppPoultry Health Service, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg
Dr. Johannes AkaMoorgut Kartzfehn von Kameke, Bösel, Germany
Stefanie BalczulatInstitute of Poultry Diseases, Free University, Berlin
Acknowledgment
Future approaches
Thank you !
Treatment trials Active substance Therapy Effect
Ropadiar sol 7,5%
(Water)
Oreganum Extract negative
Ropadiar
(Feed)
Oreganum Extract negative
Protophyt
(Water)
Chinese Cinnamon,
Cinnamon, Garlic
negative
Valbacen
(Water)
negative
(Redmann et al. 2003)
Effect of several products on H. meleagridis in infected flocks
Changing the litter directly after
the onset of clinical signs was
not effective in reducing the mortality
Blackhead – Control approaches
pos neg susp2004 12 212005 13 312006 10 142007 16 112008 14 142009 21 142010 24 27 22011 31 232012 13 14Total 154 169 2
Number of positive and negative cases2004 - 2012
total pos neg suspCaecum 246 115 130 1Liver 228 91 134 3Caecum + liver pooled 62 30 31 1Other organs/cloacal swabs/feces
63 15 48 0
Invertebrates 67 16 49 2Environment/feed 117 45 71 1Others 7 1 6 0
790 313 469 8
Samples
Invertebraten
