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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427835
Research Project: Characterization, Prevention, and Mitigation of Histomoniasis in Turkey

Location: Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory

Title: Oral inoculation of turkeys with in vitro cultured Histomonas meleagridis in cecal contents results in histomonosis

Author
item FUDGE, CATHERINE - University Of Georgia
item WEDEGAERTNER, OLIVIA - Zoetis
item Cupo, Katherine
item LOWERY, JUSTIN - North Carolina State University
item WALKER, LIN - North Carolina State University
item EDENS, FRANK - North Carolina State University
item CHEN, CHONGXIAO - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/4/2025
Publication Date: 6/23/2025
Citation: Fudge, C., Wedegaertner, O., Cupo, K.L., Lowery, J., Walker, L., Edens, F., Chen, C. 2025. Oral inoculation of turkeys with in vitro cultured Histomonas meleagridis in cecal contents results in histomonosis. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 34(3). Article e100560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2025.100560.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2025.100560

Interpretive Summary: Histomonosis is a deadly disease in turkeys caused by the parasite Histomonas meleagridis. It is unknown how the parasite transmits between turkeys, making it difficult to prevent the disease from spreading among entire flocks. It is believed turkeys are infected with H. meleagridis by eating the feces of infected turkeys. Therefore, researchers fed H. meleagridis mixed with lab culture media or feces to turkeys and tracked the rate of disease. They demonstrated that mixing H. meleagridis with feces increases the rate of oral infection. They also determined that the rate of oral infection is different between strains of H. meleagridis. This research will help veterinarians, turkey farmers, and animal health companies to develop strategies to reduce the spread of H. meleagridis among turkeys.

Technical Abstract: This study examined the effect of oral administration of Histomonas meleagridis on infection rate and disease progression of histomonosis in turkeys. Experiment 1, poults were placed in 3 experimental groups consisting of H. meleagridis culture in media administered via intracloacal inoculation (CIM), oral inoculation (OIM), or oral inoculation mixed with previously frozen cecal content (OICC). Poults were inoculated with 50,000 histomonads at 8 AM and 5 PM for five days starting from 14-day of age. Cloacal inoculation (CIM) produced 100 % infection rates, while oral infection with H. meleagridis in media (OIM) led to 8 % infection. However, oral inoculations using cecal content (OICC) produced 43 % infection rates (P = 0.0003). In experiment two, poults were placed in 2 experimental groups consisting oral inoculations with fresh cecal contents containing H. meleagridis (OI) and intracloacal inoculations with fresh cecal contents containing H. meleagridis (CI). Poults were inoculated with 50,000 histomonads at 8 AM and 5 PM for five days starting from 14-day of age. Oral inoculations (OI) produced 90 % infection rates, similar to the cloacal route (CI) at 93 % (P = 0.6433). In Experiment 3, individual isolates of H. meleagridis in cecal content were administered orally: Buford isolate (BUF), Arkansas isolate (ARK), or Zeeland, Michigan isolate (ZMI). Results showed BUF and ARK isolates produced higher infection rates than the ZMI isolate (P = 0.0136). In summary, oral infection in turkeys with H. meleagridis could be achieved using cecal content and infection rates and disease progression are impacted by isolate and inoculum condition.