DIAGNOSTIC STUDY ON MICROFILARIAE AND SOME BLOOD PROTOZOA IN QUAIL BIRDS (COTURNIX COTURNIX JAPONICA) IN NINEVEH GOVERNORATE

Abstract

The study covered a diagnosis for detection of microfliaria in 90 blood samples obtained from quail birds. The results recorded that total infestion rate was (15.6%).Three species of microfliaria have been diagnosed in quail. Form A of detected larvae measured 106 – 125 μm in length and 2.5 –3.0 μm in width, while form B measured 97–145.4 μm in length and 4.0 – 6.0 μm in width , finally form C dimensions measured 120–150 μm and 4.5 – 5.0 μm in width respectively. Knott technique detected most positive cases with higher sensitivity rate 85.7%, than other techniques used in the study. The rate of infection recorded in adult birds 14.5% was little higher than it in young birds 10.7% with no significant statitiscal defferences between males and females. The study showed appearance of 7.7% of mixed infections of microfliaria with Aegyptianella spp. and 4.4% with plasmodium spp. Finally the study pointed that microfliaria appeared with high percentage in circulating blood than peripheral blood of 40 quail birds, as15% and 10%in circulating and peripheral blood respectively.