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Medical Definition of Histomoniasis
1. A disease chiefly affecting turkeys, caused by Histomonas meleagridis and characterised by ulcerative and necrotic lesions of the liver and caecum, acute onset, and a high mortality rate. It is transmitted inside the eggs of the nematode Heterakis gallinae, which is primarily responsible for maintaining and spreading the infection. Synonym: blackhead, infectious enterohepatitis. (05 Mar 2000)