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Strategies for anti-coccidial prophylaxis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2014

DAVID M. WITCOMBE  and
NICHOLAS C. SMITH
DAVID M. WITCOMBE
Affiliation:
Institute for the Biotechnology of Infectious Diseases, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
NICHOLAS C. SMITH*
Affiliation:
Queensland Tropical Health Alliance Research Laboratory, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns Campus, McGregor Road, Smithfield, QLD 4878, Australia
*
* Corresponding author: Queensland Tropical Health Alliance Research Laboratory, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns Campus, Building E4, McGregor Road, Smithfield, QLD 4878, Australia. E-mail: nicholas.smith@jcu.edu.au
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Summary

Coccidiosis, a serious disease resulting from infection with parasitic protozoa of the genus Eimeria, causes significant economic losses to the poultry industry, where intensive rearing facilitates transmission of infectious oocysts via the fecal/oral route. Current control relies primarily on prophylactic drugs in feed but, whilst cost effective, the rise of drug resistance and public demands for residue-free meat has encouraged development of alternative control strategies. Chickens that recover from infection with Eimeria develop solid immunity that is directed against the early asexual stages of the parasite life cycle. This has allowed development of a number of vaccines that utilize deliberate infection with controlled doses of virulent oocysts or reproductively attenuated lines of Eimeria. The latter are immunogenic but non-pathogenic. The realization that both prophylactic drugs and attenuated vaccines control but do not eradicate infection with Eimeria encouraged development of a vaccine based upon maternal immunity. Laying hens exposed to Eimeria are able to transfer protective antibodies to hatchlings via egg yolks and these antibodies have been used to identify parasite proteins that are conserved across the genus. When delivered maternally, these provide an economical means of preventing coccidiosis, offering immediate protection to newly hatched chicks.

Keywords

EimeriaCoccidiaApicomplexavaccinesprophylactic control

Information

Type
Special Issue Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 141 , Special Issue 11: ApiCOWplexa 2013 – 2nd International Meeting on Apicomplexan Parasites in Farm Animals , September 2014 , pp. 1379 - 1389
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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