Aegyptinella spp.:
A. pullorum (Carpano, 1929) and A. mushkovskii (Schurenkova, 1938)
Hosts: Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and other birds in Africa, Asia and
Southern Europe.
Morphology: The initial bodies occur in the erythrocytes as trophozoites.
They appear as small, 05 - 1.0 gm, round to oval bodies in the erythrocytes
Parasite organism
c4)
Figure 3.31 Aegyptinella pullorum in erythrocyte
Life cycle and epidemiology: Aegyptinella spp. belongs to the genus
Rickettsiales. They are transmitted by the soft tick Argas persicus (-43.7 .1).
The life cycle is "simple", being a multiplication of the organism. The
parasites are seen in erythrocytes as either initial bodies or as marginal
bodies (Figure 3.31).
Newly introduced animals into endemic areas may die within a few days.
Indigenous chickens are resistant to infections with Aegyptinella spp..
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Clinical signs and pathogenicity: Affected birds have ruffled feathers, they
become anorectic, droopy and may suffer from diarrhoea and hypertherrnia.
At post mortem examinations anaemia, jaundice, hepatomegaly,
spleenomegaly and haemorrhages on the serosa may bee seen.