RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tsukamurella species are Gram-positive rods that exist in a broad range of environments. In this study, the efficacy of heat-killed Tsukamurella inchonensis on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and humoral immune responses of broiler chicken was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ross broiler chicks in the cage were randomly allocated to five groups. Trail diets were prepared by adding 106 cells per bird of heat-killed T. inchonensis into the basal trading diet for group 1 continuously dosed for 24 h from day 1 to day 13, and for group 2, 24 h on days 1 to 5; 8; 9, 12 and 13. Group 3 was received 106 bacteria as a subcutaneous injection on days 1, 6, and 12. Groups 4 and 5 were not received T. inchonensis during the experiment period. RESULTS: Feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not altered by different delivery methods of T. inchonensis supplementation. The pulsed dosed in feed tended to provide higher body weight gain (BWG) than the negative control groups. T. inchonensis treatments, never less of the ways of delivery, boosted (P<0.05) the antibody titers to Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and avian influenza (AI) (H9N2) virus, especially when broiler chickens treated with pulse dosed in the feed. The most significant intestinal development (p<0.05) was observed between groups 1 and 2. There were no significant differences in the thymus, liver, and bursa of Fabricius relative weight. Still, there were significant increases in the relative weight of spleen on day 14 in vaccinated chickens treated with T. inchonensis pulse dosed. CONCLUSION: It seems that the supplementation of T. inchonensis in the broiler diet can improve intestinal morphology and humoral immune response, which was represented by increased antibody response to NDV, and AI vaccines significantly, but it cannot affect FI and FCR.
RESUMO
Linguatula serrata is a cosmopolitan zoonotic parasite with its adult form occurring in the nasal and respiratory passages of canids as the definitive hosts, while its immature stages localize in the mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, spleen, lungs, and, rarely, in other organs, such as the ocular region of herbivorous intermediate hosts. Humans can behave as both intermediate and final host and are infected by visceral and nasopharyngeal linguatulosis. Consumption of infected, improperly cooked viscera of the intermediate hosts, including sheep, goats, cattle, camels, or other herbivores containing the larval stages of this parasite is a potential source of infection of human beings with the nasopharyngeal form of linguatulosis. However, nasopharyngeal secretions or feces of carnivores containing eggs of Linguatula are the main sources for infecting human beings with the visceral form of this infection. In the present study, the prevalence of infection by nymphs of L. serrata in 101 camels in Yazd Province, central Iran, was estimated based on histopathological studies of samples from two, apparently enlarged, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), together with one sample from a whitish pinpoint spot on the liver and spleen of each animal. Thirteen camels (12.9%) were infected with the nymphal stage of L. serrata. Age and sex did not play a significant role in the prevalence of this parasitic infection. The number of parasites in each MLN ranged from one to six larvae. In view of the consumption of raw or undercooked liver and visceral organs of camel by humans of this region, the importance of careful inspection at slaughter needs to be emphasized.