96 POULTRY DISEASES 



Taenia Infundibuliformis — Tapeworm 



This worm is sometimes called the Choanota infundibul- 

 iformis and also the Drepanidotcenisi infundibidiformis. 



Description. — This worm varies in length from one and one-half 

 to three inches. Fig. 42 illustrates a mature worm. Its head is oval, 

 the neck short and the segments shorter in length than in width. 

 The head is provided with four sucker-discs and a crown of from 

 sixteen to twenty hooklets. ^/nich cannot be seen except by micro- 

 scopic examination. The anterior border of the seg- 

 ments is a trifle shorter than the posterior border, giv- 

 ing the border of the worm a serrated aspect. The 

 male and the female genital pores irregularly alter- 

 nate. 



Life History. — The eggs passing out of the ground 

 are taken up by the intermediate host, which, accord- 

 ing to Grassi, is the earth worm. Rovelli claims to 

 have found the larval or cystic stage, in the house-fly. 



Symptoms of Infestation. — If a bird be in- 

 fested b}^ large numbers of tapeworms it is 

 Fig. 42. tae- robbed of much food, as related above, and it 

 BULi F^o R^M i^s becomes unthrifty, shows an unkempt appear- 

 (NATURAL SIZE) aucc of the feathers and possibly a loss of flesh, 

 se g'm^^e n^t e^d -^^ a rcsult of the irritatiou produced by these 

 body. parasites there is a loss of appetite, derange- 



ment of digestion, catarrhal condition of the 

 bowels and loss in egg production. Birds two to three months 

 of age may harbor adult tapeworms. This tapeworm often 

 causes the death of the infested bird. In the later stages of 

 infestation the bird appears dull, emaciated and there is com- 

 plete loss of appetite. 



This, one of the most common tapeworms, has been found 

 to be transmitted by the house fly (]\Iusca domestica). Young 

 birds are more active in catching flies than older ones and 

 are often more greatly infested. The degree of harmfulness 

 depends upon the number of tapeworms infesting the bird. 

 Birds with slight infestations may not show any symptoms. 

 They may devour large quantities of feed, appear ravenously 

 hungry. The irritation caused by the worms may cause diar- 

 rhea and the food be rushed through the intestinal tract be- 

 fore digestion and absorption can be properly accomplished. 

 Though birds eat ravenously at first, their intestines are prac- 

 tically empty. The tapeworms rob the host l)y alisor])ing 

 digested nutrients. In the earlier stages the bird appears 

 restless. Heavily infested growing ])irds show a lack of proper 

 development; they are usually slender, poor in flesh, the head 

 thin and the face, comb and wattles pale. 



Treatment. — Give one-half tablespoonful of E])som salt dis- 



