Parasitic infections of native chickens are among sources of infection for people and industrial poultry, thereby constituting health and economic problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and the identification of species of internal and external parasites of native chickens in Lorestan Province. One hundred native chickens selected randomly. Endoparasites and ectoparasites were identified using microscopic examination. Fourteen species of parasites were collected from alimentary canals, lungs and feathers of chickens. Infection rates were as follows: Raillietina tetragona 22%, Choanoataenia infandibulum 1%, Ascaridia galli 16%, Heterakis gallinarum 17%, Subulura brumpti 2%, Trichostrongylus tenuis 3% and Capillaria anatis 3%. Out of 100 chickens, 8% were infected with Syngamus trachea. Native chickens were infected with Eimeria tenella (10%), Eimeria Maxima (4%) and Eimeria Acervulina (3%). Five percent of native chickens were infected with Menopen gallinae and Cuclotogaster heteragraphus. From the 100 native chickens examined, 4% were infected with Argas persicus. It is suggested that educational programs about periodical anti-parasitic treatments are necessary for veterinarians and rural people.

Coccidiosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases in the poultry industry, which is caused by the Eimeria and Cryptosporidic species. The main goal of current study was to investigate the prevalence of different Eimeria species in indigenous poultry of Behbahan, Khuzestan province, south west Iran. Fecal samples were collected randomly in all of the 100 native birds from 11 villages in this region. Number of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) was determined by the standard McMaster technique. Identification of oocysts was done on sporulation in 2.5 % potassium dichromate solution. The results showed an overall prevalence of 20% for Eimeria sp. Infection Contains 15%; E. acervulina (80%), E. maxima (60%), E. brunetti (53.3%), E. tenella (33.3%) and E. mitis (26.6%) with mixed infections of E. maxima +E. acervulina (40%), E. tenella+E. brunetti +E. maxima (46.6%), and E. brunetti +E. maxima + E. tenella (2.2%) +E. mitis (13.2%) were determined. In order to determine the rate of Cryptosporidium infection, the samples were first stabilized using 70% methanol and stained under the Modified Zeheil Neelsen method. They were examined using an optical microscope. From the obtained spreads, 8 samples (8%) have been recognized as positive. This is the first report of coccidiosis in native birds in this region.This diseases may be an important factors in the economic losses of the native and broiler chickens in this region.Further additional research and design control strategies for improving management farms are necessary.

The present study was designed to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella species, their molecular characterization and antibiotic resistance in backyard chickens. A total of 1125 samples were collected from backyard chickens in two consequent samplings. In the first part, samples were included of 820 poor recently hatched chicks, hatching residuals, egg shells in the nest floor, cloacal swabs and fresh litter droppings in the villages which located in north of Iran. Secondly, 305 samples were taken from newly hatched-chicks which fertile eggs were obtained from the rural chickens of those regions and incubated in laboratory incubator. Of 1125 samples tested, 27 (2.4 %) Salmonella were isolated that identified as serovars of Salmonella enteritidis (55.5 %), Salmonella typhimurium (22.2 %), Salmonella hadar (14.8 %) and Salmonella infantis (7.4 %). Except the traditional serotyping that was performed for all isolates, Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis isolates were characterized by using multiplex PCR for further identification. All of six Typhimurium serovars were positive for rfbJ, fljB, invA and fliC genes. In the case of Enteritidis serovars, polymerase chain reaction generated amplification products for spv, sefA and random sequence (specific for the genus Salmonella) in all of fifteen samples. Most of the Salmonella isolates in this study were sensitive to norfloxacin.

Le virus de la maladie de Newcastle (NDV), le virus de la grippe aviaire (AIV) et le virus de la bronchite infectieuse (IBV) sont les pathogènes viraux les plus répandus dans lindustrie avicoleiranienne. Notre objectif était d’évaluerla présence de virus dans les poulets de basse-cour à Ahvaz (sud-ouest de lIran). Des échantillons de sang et des écouvillons trachéaux et cloacaux ont été prélevés à partir de 100 poulets présentant des signes respiratoires et une mortalité La plupart des poulets examinés navaient reçu aucun vaccinLa présence d’ anticorps dirigés contre le NDV et lAIV dans les échantillonssanguins aété évaluéepar untest dinhibition de lhémagglutination, et par dosage immuno-enzymatique contre lIBV; tandis que les échantillons sur écouvillon ont été utilisés pour les analysesmoléculaire en utilisant une réaction de polymérase en chaîne par transcription inverse (RT-PCR). Les résultats des analyses sérologiques montraient que 77% des oiseaux étaient positifs pour le virus de la maladie de Newcastle, 45% pour lAIV et 38,4% pour lIBV. Les résultats obtenus par RT-PCR ont révélés que 95% des oiseaux étaient positifs àlun des trois virus testés dans cette étude. Le taux de détection duLe virus de la maladie de Newcastle (NDV), le virus de la grippe aviaire (AIV) et le virus de la bronchite infectieuse (IBV) sont les pathogènes viraux les plus répandus dans lindustrie avicoleiranienne. Notre objectif était d’évaluerla présence de virus dans les poulets de basse-cour à Ahvaz (sud-ouest de lIran). Des échantillons de sang et des écouvillons trachéaux et cloacaux ont été prélevés à partir de 100 poulets présentant des signes respiratoires et une mortalité La plupart des poulets examinés navaient reçu aucun vaccinLa présence d’ anticorps dirigés contre le NDV et lAIV dans les échantillonssanguins aété évaluéepar untest dinhibition de lhémagglutination, et par dosage immuno-enzymatique contre lIBV; tandis que les échantillons sur écouvillon ont été utilisés pour les analysesmoléculaire en utilisant une réaction de polymérase en chaîne par transcription inverse (RT-PCR). Les résultats des analyses sérologiques montraient que 77% des oiseaux étaient positifs pour le virus de la maladie de Newcastle, 45% pour lAIV et 38,4% pour lIBV. Les résultats obtenus par RT-PCR ont révélés que 95% des oiseaux étaient positifs àlun des trois virus testés dans cette étude. Le taux de détection du NDV, de l‘AIV et de l’IBV était respectivement de 60%, 34% et 55%. Des co-infection impliquantl’AIV /NDV,AIV/IBV et NDV/ IBV ontété respectivement observées dans 13,4et 23 pourcents des cas alors que 7% des poulets échantillonnés étaient porteurs des trois virus . Ces résultats montrent que les poulets de basse-cour iraniens sont infectés par le NDV, lAIV et lIBVetconstituent une menace non-négligeable pour la volaille commerciale qui doit être pris en compte lors des mesures préventives.

In the present study blood samples were collected from 90 birds in order to investigate the genetic variation of interon 4 of chicken growth hormone gene (cGH) in West Azeraijan native chicken. Genomic DNA was extracted and a fragment of 1170 bp in size was amplified using polymerase chain reaction. The amplified fragments were subjected to restriction digestion with MspI endonuclease enzyme and the resultant digested products were run on 2% agarose gel. The results revealed the existence of three alleles A, B and C for the examined locus with frequencies of 34.44%, 32.22% and 33.33% respectively. A number of six different genotypic variants including AA, AB, BB, AC, BC and CC were identified withgenotypic frequencies of 11.11%, 23.33%, 12.22%, 23.33%, 16.66% and 13.13% respectively. The expected hetrozygosity value and effective number of alleles were 0.66 and 2.99 respectively. G square and Chi square tests based on observed and expected frequenciesof different genotypic variants of cGH gene showed that deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was not significant for West Azerbaijan native chicken. It was concluded that the genotypes of the examined locus were not affected by genotype influencing factors such as selection, migration and mutation.

This study was carried out from March 2007 to March2008 in order to determine the role of litter in diagnosis of parasitic infection of poultry in Golestan province, Iran. In this study 50 litter samples of native poultry and 50 from those of industrial broiler were examined. Flotation method was applied to determine OPG and EPG, eggs of 3 species of nematode were identified in 48% of litter samples of native fowl including: Ascaridia galli (44%), Heterakis gallinarum (18%) and Capillaria spp (32%) and 2 species of nematode in those of 8% of industrial poultry: Ascaridia galli (8%) and Heterakis gallinarum (4%). No oocyst was found in native fowl litter, whereas 36% of industrial poultry litters harbored three species of Eimeria as follow: E. tenella, E. acervulina, E. maxima. Free living oribatid mites were collected from 100% 0f industrial poultry litters and non from native one. It seems likely that the origin of helminth infections of poultry is native fowl and examination of the litter is an easy, cheap and rapid method for diagnosis of poultry parasitic infections.

Infestation to ectoparasites is one of the main problems in native poultry rearing that causes the losses. Indigenous poultry is considered of important nutrient sources in Iran. According to the high population of villagers of Iran that attempted to traditionally kept and rearing this poultry and also some of Urbanites do same working, therefore identification of pathogenic agents of this poultry group was important and effective in control of their diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the infestation ectoparasites in native poultry of Najafabad city. For this purpose, body of 45 birds was examined carefully to observation of ectoparasites. A total, 34 birds (75.6%) was infested to ectoparasites. Only lice were isolated of infested cases that consisted of Menacanthus stramineus (73.3%) and Menopon gallinae (64.4%). This survey was showed high infestation to ectoparasites among native poultry of this area. Thus, take necessary actions is recommended to reduce of infestation rate.

Class II transactivator (CIITA) is a dominant transcriptional element، controlling numerous genes in the immune system. CIITA is expressed in a constitutive pattern in antigen presenting cells although its expression can occur in other cell types. Since the revelation of CIITA، there have been considerable advances toward understanding its role as an activator of MHC II genes in humans and mice; nonetheless، there is a lack of published data for this gene in other animals such as chickens. The goals of this study were to determine the expression of class II transactivator (CIITA) in chicken and analysis of the CIITA gene sequence between four Iranian indigenous chicken ecotypes. After securing the research accuracy and optimization of reaction conditions، cDNA and DNA samples of gene were obtained from four Iranian indigenous chicken ecotypes. The PCR and RT-PCR products were sequenced and the data were analyzed by bioinformatics software. Comparison of the sequencing results with the reference sequence of the red jungle fowl revealed that these sequences belonged to the predicted CIITA gene. There was a high conservation rate in the sequence of CIITA. Our results indicated that like other species، CIITA is transcripted in chickens'' immune system cells. Further studies on chickens must be done to reveal CIITAroles in immune responses of chickens.