Trichodinosis associated with pathology of the reproductive tract in waterfowl

Trichodinid ciliophorans are opportunistic parasites of many species of fish, amphibians, and molluscs, but yet never reported in association with lesions in birds. Postmortem and histopathological evaluation of a commercial adult Toulouse gander and female goose, and a wild Mallard drake revealed the presence of severe pathological parasitic colonization of their reproductive tracts. Histopathological findings included moderate to severe granulocytic inflammation, acanthosis, accentuation of the rete pegs, and proliferative hyperplastic squamous metaplasia of the mucosa of the ejaculatory ducts and groove, sulcus spermaticus, glandular part of the phallus (cavum penis), and oviduct in association with large numbers of ciliated protozoa anchored to the tissues or free in the lumen. These protozoa had characteristic morphological features analogous to the family of Trichodinidae. The source of this parasitism could not be determined. To our knowledge, this is the first report of trichodinosis associated with pathology in birds.