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Breeder squab candidates between the ages of 6 and 16 wk were submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, Turlock branch, as a result of respiratory distress and increased mortality. These cases were submitted from one Northern California commercial squab operation on three separate occasions occurring between December 2007 and March 2008. Severe trichomoniasis was identified, primarily in the tracheal epithelium and lung of squabs, with few or no lesions in the oral cavity, crop, esophagus, and livers, where the organism commonly infiltrates. Infiltration of the trachea and lung sections with trichomonads was associated with a severe inflammatory response in the surrounding tissue. Diagnosis was confirmed with the use of histopathology and an immunoperoxidase special stain. Oxytetracycline supportive antibiotic therapy to prevent secondary bacterial infections was administered to remaining squabs on the farm, but no specific treatment regimen was instituted. This novel respiratory presentation of trichomoniasis continued over a period of 3 mo, until mortality gradually returned to normal.

Histomoniasis was diagnosed in a flock of 6-wk-old commercial chickens. Clinical signs included depression, stilted gait, inappetence, and a slight increase in mortality. At necropsy, there were pale-yellow to dark-gray circular and depressed necrotic lesions in the liver. The ceca were enlarged and impacted with caseous cores. Cecal worms were not observed either at necropsy or on histopathology. Histomonads were demonstrated microscopically within the bursa of Fabricius in addition to the liver, ceca, and spleen. This is the first report of the presence of histomonads in the bursa of Fabricius in commercial chickens.

Fourteen hundred broilers were exposed to Mt. St. Helens' volcanic ash (VA) dust (D) from 28 to 49 days of age to correlate the duration of exposure time to histological effect on lungs and to determine the effects on broiler performance and house environment. Histological examinations of the lungs from birds exposed each day for 4 days to either VAD for 60 min (VAD 60) in the morning and afternoon (3276 g VA/day), or VAD after one direct application (DiAp) (20 kg/m2) on wood shaving litter revealed mild lymphoid hyperplasia and granuloma formation accompanied by phagocytized crystalline material seen in some alveolar macrophages; however, no effect was observed in lung tissues from broilers exposed each day for 4 days to VAD for 15 min (VAD 15) in the morning and afternoon (82 g VAD/day). Birds exposed to all VAD treatments and examined after 7 days had histological changes in the lungs, including giant cell granuloma formation, similar to those seen at 4 days. No significant histopathological changes were found in the turbinates with any VAD treatments. Levels of mean body weight, ammonia concentration, mortality, and respiratory dust (particles ranging in size from .5 to 10 micron) levels were not significantly different among the treatments. Significantly poorer mean feed conversion was observed with broilers exposed to VAD 60 than the VA DiAp exposure. No difference in feed conversion was observed between the control and either VAD 15 or VAD 60 treatments. From this experiment, the observed histological changes in the lungs occurred with 4 days or less exposure to VAD 60 (3276 g/day).