Pathology of coccidiosis in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

The present study was carried out to describe the occurrence and pathological findings in infections with Eimeria spp. in budgerigars. Postmortem examination was conducted on the carcasses of 32 Budgerigars received from various pet shops, pet bird breeders and pet bird owners of Puducherry. The budgerigars were of either sex and their age ranged from 1 to 5 years. The reported clinical signs were anorexia, lethargy, loss of body weight and diarrhoea. Coccidiosis was diagnosed in 46.87 % (15/32) of the cases. Gross features were localized in the small intestine and included serosal congestion, catarrhal, haemorrhagic and necrotic enteritis. The intestinal scraping revealed oocysts of Eimeria spp. Histological examination of various portions of the small intestines revealed catarrhal, haemorrhagic or necrotising enteritis and the developmental stages of Eimeria spp. in the intestinal and the crypt epithelium and also in the lumen of the intestine. Other changes were crypt cell proliferation and mononuclear cell infiltration.