Chronic hyperplastic ingluvitis: Synergistic effect of invasive Candida and Trichomonas in a desi chicken

A desi chicken flock (3 months old) had 2% mortality every week with a history of stunted growth. Birds were supplemented with antibiotics from the first week of hatch. Postmortem examination was carried out on a carcass. Carcass was pale and thin. Crop mucosa was covered with thin, whitish papery layer with scattered erosions. The mucosa also revealed an irregular corrugated firm growth protruding into the lumen. Cytology revealed narrow budding yeasts and numerous flagellated protozoa. Histologically, crop revealed epithelial hyperplasia with papillary projections. Hyperplastic epithelial layer showed ballooning degeneration of cells and inflammatory infiltrations. Histochemistry showed Candida albicans with PAS stain and Trichomonas gallinae with Giemsa stain. C. albicans exhibited yeast and hyphal forms which occupied superficial epithelial cells whereas septate hyphae were found penetrating perpendicular to the mucosa. Giemsa stained tissue section showed varying morphology of Trichomonas gallinae in the lamina propria. This study reporting the chronic and combined infection of dimorphic fungi - Candida albicans and protozoal flagellate Trichomonas gallinae in a desi chicken due to continuous usage of antibiotics.