EXOone Histomonas meleagridis

Description

Histomonas meleagridis is a flagellated protozoan parasite that infects gallinaceous birds, particularly turkeys and chickens. Transmission commonly occurs through ingestion of infective stages carried by the caecal worm Heterakis gallinarum or through direct contact with contaminated fecal material.
It is the causative agent of histomoniasis (blackhead disease), a severe enterohepatic disease characterized by necrotizing typhlitis, liver lesions, depression and increased mortality, especially in turkeys. The disease can result in significant economic losses due to mortality, reduced performance and production losses in poultry flocks.
Conventional detection methods based on clinical signs and post-mortem examination may lack specificity, while parasite isolation is not routinely performed. Real-time PCR enables rapid, sensitive and specific detection of H. meleagridis DNA directly from clinical samples, supporting analytical detection and surveillance.