| Ascaridia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ascaridia | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Nematoda |
| Class: | Chromadorea |
| Order: | Ascaridida |
| Family: | Ascaridiidae |
| Genus: | Ascaridia Dujardin, 1845 |
| Diversity | |
| 15 species | |
Ascaridia /æskəˈrɪdiə/ is a genus of parasitic nematodes. Members of the genus are primarily intestinal parasites of birds.[1] Three species are well known, namely, A. galli found mostly in chickens, A. dissimilis in turkeys, and A. columbae in pigeons. Lesser known species such as A. hermaphrodita, A. sergiomeirai, A. ornata, A. nicobarensis, and A. platyceri are found in parrots.[2]
Among these, A. galli is the most important and most pathogenic species, responsible for ascaridiasis of poultry.[3] The eggs of these nematodes are characterized by a thick shell, smooth and ellipsoidal, and composed of three distinct layers.
The eggs of A. dissimilis are marginally bigger than A. galli, and A. columbae is marginally smaller. All these ascarid eggs are similar in appearance to Heterakis gallinarum.
All three species exhibit a direct lifecycle involving the release of eggs into the soil and the subsequent reingestion of them in food. A. columbae may also migrate through the liver.
- ^ Yamaguti, S. (1961). Systema Helminthum. 3. The nematodes of vertebrates. Interscience Publishers, New York and London, pp. 1261
- ^ Kajerova V, Barus V, Literak I (2004). Nematodes from the genus Ascaridia parasitizing psittaciform birds: a review and determination key Archived February 6, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Vet. Med. – Czech, 49 (6): 217–223.
- ^ Griffiths HJ (1978). A Handbook of Veterinary Parasitology: Domestic Animals of North America. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, pp. 46-47.