PLASMODIUM, HAEMOPROTEUS AND LEUCOCYTOZOON 



275 



The microgametocytes stain less intensely 

 than the macrogametes. They measure 

 13 to 18 by 3 to 4 pi with a mean of 16 by 

 3|U. They contain 11 to 24 (mean, 18) pig- 

 ment granules. Their nuclei measure 5 

 to 10 by 2 to 4 jj. with a mean of 8 by 3 ji . 

 The host cells are not enlarged. More- 

 house also observed occasional extracellu- 

 lar macrogametes. 



Life Cycle : Unknown. 



Pathogenesis : Unknown. 



Remarks : Altho Haemoproteiis is 

 relatively rare in turkeys, it has been 

 seen enough times and has been described 

 well enough to warrant having a name of 

 its own. I am therefore naming it H. 

 meleagridis n. sp. 



species, also in the erythrocytes. Schi- 

 zogony takes place in the parenchyma of 

 the liver, heart, kidney or other organs, 

 the schizonts forming large bodies divided 

 into cytomeres. There is no schizogony 

 in the erythrocytes or leucocytes. The 

 vectors are blackflies {Simulium). Mem- 

 bers of this genus are parasites of birds. 



Leucocytozoo)i is common in many 

 wild birds and also causes disease in 

 ducks, geese, turkeys and chickens. 

 Coatney (1937) gave a catalog and host- 

 index of the genus, and Herman (1944) 

 listed the species occurring in North 

 American birds. 



LEUCOCYTOZOON SIMONDI 

 MATfflS AND LEGER, 1910 



HAEMOPROTEUS INFECTIONS IN 

 BIRDS 



Diagnosis : Haemoproteus infections 

 can be diagnosed by finding and identifying 

 the protozoa in stained blood smears. 

 However, not all infections in which game- 

 tocytes alone are found are necessarily 

 Haemoproteus infections. Some of them 

 may be Plasmodium. 



Treatment : Little is known about 

 treatment of Haemoproteus infections. 

 According to Coatney (1935), quinacrine 

 inhibits the development of young gameto- 

 cytes of H. columbae, while pamaquine 

 destroys the mature ones. Neither is 

 effective against the schizonts. However, 

 in view of the slight pathogenicity of 

 Haemoproteus, treatment does not seem 

 warranted. 



Prevention and Control : Prevention 

 of Haemoproteus infections depends on 

 control of their hippoboscid and midge 

 vectors, or, at least in the latter case, 

 in preventing the birds from being bitten. 



Genus LEUCOCYTOZOON 

 Danilewsky, 1890 



The macrogametes and microgameto- 

 cytes occur in the leucocytes or, in some 



Synonyms : Leucocytozoon anatis, 

 Lencocytozoon anseris. 



Disease : Leucocytozoonosis. 



Hosts: Domestic ducks, domestic 

 goose and many wild anseriform birds. 

 Levine and Hanson (1953) tabulated reports 

 of L. simondi from 23 species of wild 

 waterfowl, including the grey-lag goose, 

 white -fronted goose, Canada goose, wood 

 duck, American pintail, green-winged 

 teal, teal duck, blue-winged teal, falcated 

 teal, mallard, black duck, baldpate, shov- 

 eller, scaup, lesser scaup, ring-necked 

 duck, redhead, canvasback, American 

 goldeneye, old squaw duck, hooded mer- 

 ganser, American merganser and red- 

 breasted merganser. 



Fallis, Pearson and Bennett (1954) 

 transmitted L. simondi from domestic 

 ducks to domestic geese, but failed to in- 

 fect ruffed grouse, chickens, turkeys and 

 pheasants with it. 



Location : The gametocytes are in the 

 lymphocytes, monocytes and also erythro- 

 cytes. Schizogony takes place in the liver, 

 heart, brain, spleen, lungs, lymph nodes 

 and pancreas. 



Geographic Distribution : 

 America, Europe, Indochina. 



North 



