Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 5, 2026

Parasite Induced Genetically Driven Autoimmune Chagas Heart Disease in the Chicken Model
Published on: July 29, 2012
Pathogenicity of Leucocytozoon caulleryi for specific pathogen-free laying hens
K Nakamura1, M Ogiso, T Shibahara
1National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Abstract:
The pathogenicity of Leucocytozoon caulleryi against specific-pathogen-free laying hens was investigated. Many large schizonts (second-generation schizonts) of L. caulleryi were seen in the ovary and oviducts of chickens. Edema and pressure atrophy of the adjacent tissues were associated with these schizonts. The eggshell-secreting portion of the uterus exhibited the most severe damage in the oviduct. This experiment reconfirms that L. caulleryi may stop egg production in laying hens, presumably as a result of damage to ovaries and oviducts.

