POULTRY DISEASES 
13 
Figure 15. : —The gizzard worm, Spiroptera liamulosa, natural size; a, female; 
b, male. 
Figure 16.— Syngamus trachealis (gape worm), attached to the mucous mem¬ 
brane (inner lining) of the trachea; natural size; a, mucous membrane; b, male; 
c, female. 
THE GAPE WORM OR FORKED WORM, (Syngamus trachealis) 
DESCRIPTION.—The male is very small as compared with the female. 
Figure 16 illustrates these worms as always found; B, the male; C, the fe¬ 
male; and A, the mucous membrane to which they are attached. It will be 
noted that the male is scarcely one-half inch in length while the female is 
one inch and sometimes a trifle longer. The mouth parts are surrounded by 
a capsular arrangement with which to hold firmly to the mucous membrane 
of the trachea (wind pipe). These worms wound the mucous membrane and 
suck blood. 
LIFE HISTORY.—The female produces eggs, which escape from her 
body only after the parent worm is expelled from the bird and the body de¬ 
composed. The embryos thus escaping from the decomposing female live in 
the earth, water, or earthworms. Thus, chicks drinking contaminated water 
or eating infested earth worms in turn become infested, or if the chick should 
pick up an expelled female containing the mature eggs, the embryos would 
be liberated in the stomach of the chick, in which case they migrate to the air 
passages and grow to maturity. 
CONDITION PRODUCED.—Wild as well as tame birds may become in¬ 
fested by the gape worm. Our trouble is usually with young chicks and 
turkeys. The small immature gape worms or eggs containing the embryos 
find their way to the intestinal tract of the young bird as indicated above, 
and finding their way to the trachea (wind pipe) and its branches, attach 
themselves, and by growing in size gradually obstruct the passage of air to 
the lungs. As a result, the bird finds breathing difficult, and after a while 
gasps for air, extending its head into the air, and finally dies. Usually a 
lump can be found by feeling along the trachea. 
TREATMENT.—Hatch chicks by incubator and do not allow them to run 
out in the wet grass where they may find infested earth worms or contam¬ 
inated water. Feed from clean containers, constructed for the purpose. 
By grasping the bird in the left hand and forcing its mouth open, a 
doubled horse hair may be forced down the trachea. Twisting, and again 
withdrawing, usually dislodges the worms. Gentle pressure over the region 
of the mass may so injure the worms as to cause them to let loose their hold 
and be expelled by the chick sneezing. Care must be exercised lest the 
trachea be injured. A feather, from which ah the barbs except the tip have 
been removed, dipped in turpentine, forced down the trachea and, when the 
tip is past the mass of worms, twisted as it is pulled out usually removes them. 
By referring to Fig. 1, No. 34, the location of the opening of the trachea 
through the larynx may be seen. 
