Assessment of the inhibitory effects of disinfectants on the embryonation of Ascaridia columbae eggs

This study was set out with the aim of assessing the effects of the most commonly available commercial disinfectants on embryogenesis of A. columbae eggs. In addition to the distilled water treatment as a control group, four disinfectants were tested that included formalin, povidone iodide, TH4, and Virkon-S, in three independent experiments. In the first experiment, an overnight incubation with the working concentration of disinfectants resulted in significant inhibition of 80%, 85%, and 98% of embryonic development at day 9 post-treatment with formalin, povidone iodide, and TH4, respectively. This inhibition was continued through days 12 and 15 with the three tested disinfectants. Virkon-S did not affect embryogenesis with larval development comparable to that of the control group. In the second more dissected experiment, contact times of 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes were set out for each disinfectant with embryogenesis inhibition results echoed that of the first experiment, with all disinfectants but Virkon-S inhibited larval development in significant proportions of eggs. Again, Virkon-S was very neutral in its effect on embryogenesis. When pigeon fecal matters were mixed with eggs and were subjected to disinfectants, discrepancies to results of the first two experiments were observed with only formalin inhibited embryogenesis in considerable proportion of eggs. Thus, and with the exception of Virkon-S, disinfectants tested at levels similar to those applicable in poultry in-houses and farms exhibited potent ovicidal activities on free eggs. To our knowledge, this is the first study involving the application of the commonly used in-poultry houses disinfectants to inactivate or delay the embryogenesis of bird Ascarids. The future perspective will potentially involve the in-field applications of the efficient disinfectants to eliminate or reduce the dissemination of infections with bird Ascarids in the chicken, turkey, pigeons, and other poultry houses.