Coccidioza la fazanul de crescatorie
COCCIDIOSIS IN BREEDING PHEASANTS

*I. Pavlović , **Iulia Floriştean, ***Dj. Stevanović , Snežana Stevanović, Z. Kulišić
*ScientificVeterinary Institute of Serbia, V. Toze 14,Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro
**Directia Veterinara şi pentru Siguranţa Alimentelor Iaşi, Aleea M. Sadoveanu nr. 10, Iasi, Romania
*** Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro

Keywords: coccidiosis, pheasasnts

Today pheasants are one of the most numerous game birds in our hunting grounds. Coccidiosis of pheasants are parasitoses caused by numerous species of genus Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Coccidia). These parasitoses produce remarkable health problem in pheasants. Numerous reports of coccidiosis in pheasants have emerged from many countries through the world. In England, Beer (1972, 1973) states that these parasites normally occurs in pheasants. Bejsovec (1976) and Pav (1979) have reported coccidisis in free-living pheasants in the Czech Republic. Gumbatov (1969) found it in pheasants in Russia, Wetzel et al. (1974) in free living birds in Germany and Patton et al. (1984) found coccidiosis in pheasants in USA. In Serbia, however, this parasite has been infrequently recorded, several examinations performed by Cvetkovic et al. (1986), Pavlovic (1991) and Pavlovic et al. (1991,b,1992, 1996) stated that coccidiosis normally occurs in breeding pheasants and in free living pheasants, and have an important place in the pathology of these birds. Coccidiosis is the most frequently infection of pheasants and in our paper we give on an outline of the present knowledge about coccidiosis in artificially breeding pheasants.
MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study of coccidia infections in artificially raised pheasants was carried out in the several pheasantries, in period 1990-2003. During our examination we examined samples of faeces and dead pheasants. Samples of faeces were collected from all age groups of pheasants twice a month. Examination was done by sedimentation and the flotation concentration technique described by Euzeby (1981).
A total of 2073 pheasants chicks, 1893 pheasants 2-6 week old and 1432 adult pheasants were examined by parasitogical necropsy. Determination of oocysts and the development stages of Eimeria were performed by keys given by Pellerdy (1969) and Norton (1976).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The following species of Eimeria were found: Eimeria colchici (Norton, 1967), Eimeria phasiani and Eimeria duodenalis (Norton, 1967). The most prevalent species was E. colchici. Infection with a single species was rare, but mixed infection with two or all species of Eimeria was the rule. In all cases coccidiosis was confirmed at dissection by characteristic pathological changes in various parts of the intestine.

Today are recognize numerous Eimeria species at pheasants: Eimeria colchici (Norton, 1967), E. dispersa (Tyzzer, 1929), E. duodenalis (Norton, 1967),. E.gennaeuscus (Ray&Hiregauder, 1959), E.langeroni (Yakimof&Matschoulsky, 1932), E.megalostomata (Ormsbee, 1939), E. pacifica (Ormsbee, 1939), E. picta (Bhati, 1986), E. phasiani (Tyzzer, 1929) and E. tetraooimia (Wacha, 1973). But Eimeria colchici, E. phasiani and E. duodenalis were present in all cases where pathological changes and clinical signs of diseases occurred.
In the course of producing and raising pheasant chicks the dynamic of Eimeria infection and death was the following: in up to 2 week old chicks were not found infection; in pheasant of 2-6 weeks of age the intensity and extensity of infection were very strong with the highest mortality rate and pronounced changes in the characteristic of coccidiosis (whitish soft plugs under caecum, mucoidal duodenitis and enteritis with petechial haemorrhagiae and small intestine filled with blood stained mucosa). Infection were found at 37,03% (701/1896) of examined birds.

In pheasants under 6 weeks of age a sudden drop in the extensity and intensity of infection was observed with practically no cases of death. Rate of infection were
Comparing the obtained results with results of similar examination (Norton, 1967; 1982; Pav, 1979, Patton et al. 1984.), we conclude that the following species of Eimeria are found in all cases where we have clinical disease.
Coccidiosis in pheasants is responsable for substantial loses of artificially raised pheasants and free living birds all around the world. Coccidiosis should be regards as ubiquitous in pheasant management. Infection with a single species of Eimeria is rare in natural conditions, mixed infections being the rule. The clinical disease entity depends on the number of oocysts indigested by individual birds. If the environmental hygiene is poor, this number may be very large because all coccidia have a high biotic potential. The environments being contaminated continuously, even by immune birds, and the motions of an outbreak, are factors which allow oocysts to sporulate and remain viable. For sporulation the oocyst requires moisture and warmth and survives best in shade. For these reasons, measures to control coccidiosis in terms of prophylactic and treatment should be base on contemporary zoo hygienic procedures, the application of anticoccidial drugs and regular parasitological control of pheasants.

REFERENCE

1. Beer, J.V (1972), Game Coservancyfor 1972. Ann. Rev. 64-65.
2. Beer, J.V.(1973), Ann. Rev. Game Conservancy for 1973. Ann. Rev. 72-73.
3. Bejshovec J. (1976), Protozool.20, 535-537.
4. Cvetković Lj., Panajotović V., Dimitrijevć Sanda (1986), Praxsis Vet. 34 (5-6),361-369
5. Euzeby 1.(1981), Diagnostic experimental parasites animales. Vigot Ereres, Paris.
6. Gumbatov M. G.(1969), Veterin Moskva. 8,56-57
7.Norton C.C.(1967),Protozool.,14, 772- 775
8.Norton C.C.(1976), Folia Vet.Latina Suppl.3,218
9. NortonC.C. (1978), Vet Rec., 24 (8),406-408
10. Patton W.H., Schwartz L.D., Babish D.l.(1984), Avian Dis., 28 (3),693-697
11.Pav, J.(1979)  Lesnictivi,25(III), 657-661
12. Pavlović I.. (1990):Zbornik radova i kratkih sadržaja radova VI simpozijuma male životinje, urbana sredina i ekologija, Sarajevo, 137-139;
13. Pavlović I.. (1991): Ecto and endoparasitoses of pheasnats on farm breeding and measure to its control. MSc thesis,Fakultet veterinarske medicine u Beogradu;
14. Pavlović I.. Kerš-Pavlović Valentina B., Hudina, Jordanović V.(1992) Lucar.Sti. Med. Vet. XXVI, 104-107;
15. Pavlović I.. Kulišić Z., Erski-Biljić Milanka, Mrenoški S., Srbinoska J.  (1996): Maced. Vet. Rev. 25 (1-2), 113-116
16. Pelerdy L.P .(1974),Coccidia and Coccidiosis,
17. Trigg P.l.(1967), Parasitolog., 57,135-138
18. Wetzel R., Rieck W.(1974), Krankheiten des Wildes, Paul Parey Verlag, B