Histomoniasis, an ancient disease threatening
the European poultry production.
What are the current and future options for control ?
Koen De Gussem
Alpharma
koen.degussem@alpharma.com
Histomoniasis is a disease with a (re)-increasing
importance. The disease is caused by Histomonas meleagridis, a protozoan
parasite that can infect different poultry-species.
Research had ceased more or less some thirty years ago, due to the fact that the
disease was very well controlled (both preventative and curative) with products
now banned.
Histomoniasis is jeopardising the liveability of the European turkey-production. At present in Europe, no products, either preventative nor therapeutic, to control Histomonas meleagridis in turkeys are available.
But also in breeders and in layers in
newer, so called sustainable, housing systems, histomoniasis is a re-emerging
disease for some years now in the EU.
There are some indications that in the USA and other parts of the world, the
incidence and severity of the disease is increasing in breeders.
It is noteworthy that histomoniasis has become a huge problem not only because of the direct economic damage, but also animal welfare is seriously at stake.
Since the real overall impact of this
disease remains hard to measure, there surely is a need for improved diagnosis
tools. A lot of possible ‘alternative’ control means have been introduced,
but until now without consistent satisfactory results. Hence the gap which
apparently can be filled only with registered pharmaceutical products.
At least one pharmaceutical company is working on the registration of a
FDA-approved product, while the possibility of vaccines is seriously considered
by various research-groups. Several companies are believed to screen ‘older’
molecules for anti-histomoniasis activity.