Newcastle disease or ranikhet, as it is called in 
India, is extremely widespread in poultry and is probably casually en- 
demic in wild francolins in that country, though possibly contracted 
from wide-ranging domestic birds. It was found impossible to pen large 
numbers of francolins together without sooner or later experiencing a 
serious outbreak of, and substantial losses from, this disease. Birds 
injected with 0.5 cc of most strains of killed vaccine, obtained from 
the United States, were protected from the disease when penned in India 
but not protected following the stress associated with their shipment 
to quarantine in the United States. In 1961, a new strain of killed 
Newcastle vaccine, developed at the Beltsville Research Center, U.S.D.A. 
was tested on francolins and found to be extremely effective in prevent- 
ing this disease, , 
Fungus -- Aspergillosis is probably endemic in francolins in 
India. Both the black and the gray francolins proved to be rather re- 
sistant to this fungus in captivity as they are also to thrush (Candidi- 
osis) according to experience at the Prattville State Game Farm in Alabama. 
Internal parasites 
Nematodes -- Heterakis, a caecal worm, was found in a number of 
wild francolins, 
Ascaridia, round worms of several kinds, were found in 
about 10 percent of the birds examined. They were easily eliminated. 
Capillaria, cropworms, were present in about 80 percent 
of the birds examined during our first year in India. By the third year 
the incidence of these parasites had dropped to about 25 percent. 
A proventricular nemotode, not identified with certainty, 
was found in about LO percent of the black francolins autopsied. 


The gizzard was apparently free of parasites. 
An eyeworm, of the genus s irura‘4) , was located 
during the final year of the study in five black francolins., Eyeworms of 
the genus Oxyspirura are rather common among Indian birds, having been 
recovered from 13 different species (47). 
Heartworms were less common in black than in gray fran- 
colins. The species was identified by pathologists at Rutgers University 
as Paronchocerca rousselotti. This parasite was recognized early in our 
work in India and all birds received were subsequently tested for heart- 
worms by a microscopic examination of blood smears for the living micro- 
filaria of heartworms. Infected birds were eliminated from our flocks. 
Of 3,403 black francolins thus examined, 4.3 percent of the males and 
4.0 of the females were found to harbor this parasite. 

a ee cee, ee ee. 
(a) Identified by Katherine Prestwood, University of Georgia. 
36 
