?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Poultry+litter+as+a+source+of+gastrointestinal+helminth+infections&rft.creator=Maurer%2C+V.&rft.creator=Amsler%2C+Z.&rft.creator=Perler%2C+E.&rft.creator=Heckendorn%2C+F.&rft.subject=+Poultry&rft.subject=+Health+and+welfare&rft.description=The+aim+of+this+study+carried+out+in+6+commercial+layer+houses+was+to+examine+the+effect+of+litter+management+on+water+content%2C+helminth+egg+count+and+litter+infectiousness+with+the+intestinal+nematodes+Ascaridia+galli%2C+Heterakis+gallinarum%2C+and+Capillaria+spp.+Three+types+of+litter+management+were+established+in+each+layer+house+in+parallel%3A+in+compartment+A%2C+litterwas+left+undisturbed%2C+in+compartment+B%2C+wet+litter+was+replaced+and+in+compartment+C%2C+new+litter+material+was+added+weekly.+Dry+matter+(DM)+contents+of+the+litter+and+parasitological+parameters+(helminth+egg+concentration+in+litter+samples%2C+faecal+egg+counts+(FECs)+in+the+permanent+layer+%C3%AF%C2%AC%C2%82ocks%2C+helminth+prevalence+and+burdens+in+two+series+of+tracer+animals)+were+determined+every+4+weeks+during+the+%C3%AF%C2%AC%C2%81rst+32+weeks+of+one+laying+period.+DM+contents+of+the+litter+varied+in+a+broad+range+(48%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9395%25)%3B+8+weeks+after+onset+of+the+study%2C+there+were+signi%C3%AF%C2%AC%C2%81cant+differences+between+sites+(P+%3C+0.001)+but+not+between+management+regimes.+A.+galli%2FH.+gallinarum+eggs+were+isolated+from+91%25+of+the+litter+samples%2C+whereas+eggs+of+Capillaria+spp.were+only+extracted+from+13%25+of+the+samples.+Egg+concentrations+in+litter+remained+at+a+similar+level+during+the+observation+period.+Neither+management+regime+reduced+helminth+egg+concentrations+in+the+litter+compared+to+the+unmanaged+regime.+Laying+hens+started+excreting+helminth+eggs+8+weeks+after+introduction+to+the+layer+house.+In+treatment+C+(litter+added)+FECs+were+lower+than+in+the+unmanaged+treatment+A+in+weeks+8+(P+%3C+0.0001)%2C+20%2C+and+28+(both+P+%3C+0.1).+There+was+no+correlation+between+the+concentration+of+helminth+eggs+in+the+litter+and+the+FECs+of+the+layer+%C3%AF%C2%AC%C2%82ocks.+The+prevalence+of+A.+galli+in+tracer+animals+was+lower+(%3C10%25)+than+the+prevalences+of+H.+gallinarum+(68%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9380%25)+and+Capillaria+spp.+(30%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9358%25).+Prevalences+and+H.+gallinarum+burdens+did+not+differ+signi%C3%AF%C2%AC%C2%81cantly+between+management+regimes.+Although+high+helminth+egg+concentrations+were+found+in+litter%2C+the+prevalence+and+worm+burdens+in+tracer+animals+were+low+compared+to+a+similar+study+with+tracers+kept+in+poultry+runs.+The+reasons+for+this+may+be+that+poultry+litter+negatively+affects+viability+and+infectiousness+of+helminth+eggs.+However%2C+underlying+mechanisms+need+to+be+clari%C3%AF%C2%AC%C2%81ed.%0D%0A(c)+2009+Elsevier+B.V.+All+rights+reserved.&rft.publisher=Elsevier+B.V.&rft.date=2009&rft.type=Journal+paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F15614%2F1%2FMaurer_2009_Vet_Parasitol.pdf&rft.identifier=Maurer%2C+V.%3B+Amsler%2C+Z.%3B+Perler%2C+E.+and+Heckendorn%2C+F.+(2009)+Poultry+litter+as+a+source+of+gastrointestinal+helminth+infections.+Veterinary+Parasitology.+[+In+Press+%2C+2009]&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F15614%2F