Histomoniasis a headache for poultry producers

Histomoniasis, or blackhead, is a complex disease. Although primarily affecting turkeys with lesions in the ceca and liver, blackhead can also have a significant impact on chickens. Blackhead is caused by the protozoan flagellate, Histomonas meleagridis, which has a broad host range, infecting gallinaceous birds including pheasants, partridges and bobwhite quails, in addition to chickens and turkeys. With the ban on many of the medications used to fight the disease and changes in animal husban