Interaction of Histomonas meleagridis with other microorganisms
Histomonosis is a re-emerging disease in poultry with increasing importance in recent years due to withdrawal of drugs to be used for prohylaxis and treatment. The aetiological agent of the disease is Histomonas meleagridis, a protozoan flagellate. In turkeys the infection may lead to mortality rates up to 100%. In chickens the disease is less severe with two clincial and pathomorphological different pictures. Firstly, a typhlohepatitis characterized by lesions in the liver and caeca. Clinically, this form does often correspond with a higher mortality, especially in the rearing phase of laying chicken. Secondly, a more complicated form which is more difficult to diagnose. In this case the parasite is restricted to the caeca, without any involvement of the liver. As a consequence of this infection other pathogens, especially bacteria, use the infection of birds with Histomonas meleagridis as a door opener to establish a generalized infection. In this context infections with E.coli gain some special attention due to the fact that colibazillosis is one of the most important diseases in laying birds which has to be treated with antibiotics.
In the present project the interaction of Histomonas meleagridis with other microorganisms, especially bacteria should be investigated. The target of the project is to perform relevant studies to investigate this interaction in vitro and in vivo. This aspect is of special relevance as Histomonas meleagridis can not be grown in vitro under axenic conditions. The interaction of protozoa with other microorganisms is also known from other protozoa present in mammals.
The whole research subject is located within the “Profillinie 2”: Infection and Prevention, in which external funding and grants together with co-funding by the university were recruited. Furthermore, aspects like farm animal health and food safety are the main research topics within the Department 3: Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health.
Publication List
- Hess, M., Grabensteiner, E. and D. Liebhart (2006)
Rapid transmission of the protozoan parasite Histomonas meleagridis in turkeys and specified pathogen free chickens following cloacal infection with a mono-eukaryotic culture. Avian Pathol., 35, 280-285. - Hess, M., Kolbe, T., Grabensteiner, E. and H. Prosl (2006)
Clonal cultures of Histomonas meleagridis, Tetratrichomonas gallinarum and a Blastocystis sp. established through micromanipulation. Parasitology, 133, 547-554. - Grabensteiner, E. and M. Hess (2006)
PCR for specific and sensitive detection of Histomonas meleagridis, Tetratrichomonas gallinarum and Blastocystis spp.. Vet. Parasitol., 142, 223-230. - Liebhart, D., Weissenböck, H. and M. Hess (2006)
In situ hybridization targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Histomonas meleagridis in tissue samples for identification and differentiation of the parasite from other microorganisms. J. Comp. Pathol., 135, 237-242 - Grabensteiner, E., Liebhart, D., Weissenböck, H. and M. Hess (2006)
Broad dissemination of Histomonas meleagridis determined by the detection of the nucleic acid in different organs after experimental infection of turkeys and specified pathogen-free chickens using a mono-eukaryotic culture of the parasite. Parasitology Int., 55, 317-322. - Grabensteiner, E., Arshad, N. and M. Hess (2007)
Differences in the in vitro susceptibility of mono-eukaryotic cultures of Histomonas meleagridis, Tetratrichomonas gallinarum and Blastocystis sp. to natural organic compounds. Parasitol. Res., 101, 193-199. - Singh, A., Weissenböck, H. and M. Hess (2008)
Histomonas meleagridis: Immunohistochemical localization of parasitic cells in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of experimentally infected turkeys demonstrate the wide spread of parasite in its host. Exp. Parasitol., 118, 505-513
Liebhart, D., Grabensteiner, E. and M. Hess (2008)
A virulent mono-eukaryotic culture of Histomonas meleagridis is capable to induce fatal histomonosis in different aged turkeys of both sexes regardless of the infective dose. Avian Dis. 52, 168-172 - Hess, M., Liebhart, D., Grabensteiner, E. and A. Singh (2008)
Cloned Histomonas meleagridis passaged in vitro resulted in reduced pathogenicity and is capable to protect turkeys from histomonosis. Vaccine, 26, 4187-4193. - Mielewczik, M., Mehlhorn, H., Al-Quraishy, S., Grabensteiner, E. and M. Hess (2008)
Transmission electron microscopic studies of stages of Histomonas meleagridis from clonal cultures. Parasitol. Res. 103, 745-750. - Grabensteiner, E., Liebhart, D., Arshad, N. and M. Hess (2008)
Antiprotozoal activities determined in vitro and in vivo of certain plant extracts against Histomonas meleagridis, Tetratrichomonas gallinarum and Blastocystis sp.. Parasitol. Res. 103, 1257-1264. - Arshad, N., Zitterl-Eglseer, K., Hasnain, S. and M. Hess (2008)
Effect of Peganum harmala or its ß-carboline alkaloids on certain antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria and protozoa from poultry. Phytother. Res., 22, 1533-1538. - Windisch, M. and M. Hess (2009)
Establishing an indirect sandwich enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies against Histomonas meleagridis from experimentally infected specific pathogen-free chickens and turkeys. Vet. Parasitol. 161, 25-30 - Bilic, I., Leberl, M. and M. Hess (2009)
Identification and molecular characterization of numerous Histomonas meleagridis proteins using a cDNA library. Parasitol. 136, 379-391. - Liebhart D. and M. Hess (2009)
Oral infection of turkeys with in vitro cultured Histomonas meleagridis results in high mortality. Avian Pathol. 38, 223-227