Helminth Fauna in Chickens That are Kept in Rural Areas in Aydin

Background/Aim: Chickens have important place in poultry and normally grow in hencocks, cages, fences and commercially in the production system in many parts of world. Many parasitic diseases in poultry production systems is reduced as a result of the use of commercial off the production systems. However, traditional methods of poultry have been growing in many parts of the world and a number of these animals lead to the vulnarability of helminth infections. Chickens that walk around in garden sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly infected through intermediate hosts of a variety of gastrointestinal helminth infections. In this study, chickens kept in soil based hencock in rural areas in Aydin Centre District, Governor District of Incirliova, Kosk and Karacasu, have been examined to determine the prevalence of helminth fauna infection. Material and Method: A total of 50 chickens comprising 30 females and 20 males were euthanized and necropsy was performed for collection and examination of helminth and their eggs. A total of 460 faecal samples were collected. Faecal samples have been examined using native, flotation, sedimentation methods. Collected nematodes were washed in isotonic salty water (0.09%) and fixed with ethanol 70%. Cestodes in digestive tract have been hold at -20oC to easily detaching of their scolices in a few days. Clearing of collected helminths have been performed with lactophenol. Their measurements were taken under light microscobe using helper computer programs (DP Controller 3.11.267, analySIS LS Starter 2.4) an morphometric measures of detected helminth eggs have been recorded using digital photos of light microscope and diagnosis were made using parameters used in other literatures (Tolgay, 1973; Guralp, 1981; Soulsby, 1986). Collected cestoda were measured their lengths and recorded at protocol. 10 females and 10 males have been measured for their lengths for each chicken. In cases, where the number of samples was less than 10, measurements were taken from the average of all samples. Results and Conclusion: Helminth infections were observed in 48 (96%) of 50 necropsized chickens and 141 (30.65%) of 460 faecal samples. There were 5 helminth species were observed and the most abundant helminth species was found to be H. gallinarum (80%). Other helminth species were C. retusa (18%), R. tetragona (%4), A. cunatea (2%) and A. galli (2%). Three helminth species were observed in one sample, 2 helminth species were observed in 7 samples and only one species was observed in 32 samples. Only three types of nematode eggs were examined in this study, which were H. gallinarum (23.91%), Capillaria spp. (11.30%) and A. galli (0.21%). Helminths were only collected from small and large intestines of chickens. No helminth infections have been observed in other tissues and organs in examined chickens. Also, no trematoda and acanthocephala worms were observed in this study.