Until the discovery of highly effective drugs in the 1960s, histomoniasis was the leading cause of mortality in turkeys. After dimetridazole and ipropran (nitroimidazole compounds) came into common use and outbreaks could be easily controlled, the interest in further work dropped precipitously. However, these products have been banned by regulatory authorities, first in the USA, and more recently in Europe, leaving us with only one product for prevention (nitarsone), and nothing for treatment. This puts us in the position of using indirect methods for control of this disease. Recent work has shown us interesting new features of this disease, and also emphasizes the considerable difference in blackhead of turkeys compared to that of chickens. For thorough reviews of the older and recent literature, see Reid (10), and McDougald (7).
