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The male and female are permanently united. The male is about one-third as long as the female, and when attached to the anterior third of the female, gives the pair a forked appearance. Fowls become infested with the gape-worm by eating the adult parasite that has been expectorated, or an earth worm that is host for the immature parasite.
In the severe cases the appetite is interfered with, mucus accumulates in the mouth and the bird is dull and listless. The death rate is quite high in young-chickens and turkeys. The treatment is both preventive and curative. If the gape-worm is known to be present in the runs, the ground should be covered with lime, and the fowls moved to fresh runs if possible.
The embryo gape-worm is freed in the intestine, and from here they are supposed to migrate into the abdominal air sacs and to the trachea and bronchi. The symptom are most severe in very young fowls. The affected bird opens its mouth and appears to gasp for breath, sneeze and attempt to swallow.
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