Prevalence and risk factors for subclinical coccidiosis in broiler chicken farms in Mazandaran province,Iran

Coccidiosis is a disease of almost universal importance in Poultry production. The subclinical form of coccidiosis has most significant economic impact due to impaired growth rate and feed conversion. Some factors such as: age, size of flock, season, etc., may effect on severity of this disease. In this study, the relationships between some major risk factors and prevalence of subclinical coccidiosis were investigated. This study was done in 120 broiler farms in five different cities of Mazandaran province, north of Iran. Five chicks (3–8 weeks of ages) were taken randomly from every 120 farms and post-mortem and parasitological examinations were performed. Five Eimeria spp. were recognized: Eimeria tenella, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria brunetti, and Eimeria necatrix. The prevalence rate of subclinical coccidiosis among them is 75% (90 farms out of 120). E. acervulina was the most prevalent species (65.5%) followed by E. maxima (17.7%), E. tenella (15.5%), E. brunetti (10%), and E. necatrix (5.5%). According to what the results approve, the occurrence of subclinical coccidiosis is significantly related to the age and size of flock, whereas the other factors such as the season of year, industrial strains, chicken’s keeping system, and anticoccidial drugs do not affect this phenomenon remarkably.     

Prevalence of subclinical coccidiosis in broiler-chicken farms in the municipality of Mashhad, Khorasan, Iran

A survey of the prevalence of subclinical coccidiosis in broiler-chickens was conducted in the municipality of Mashhad, Khorasan, Iran. Eighty-four chicken farms were randomly selected; from each farm, five birds per 10 000 were sampled (as was litter). Serial scraping of the intestinal lining was done in chicks at 3rd and >6th week of age.

The farm-level prevalence of subclinical coccidiosis was 38% (95% CI: 28, 48.47%). Uni- and multi-variable associations were tested between each variable. An increased risk of infection in the broiler was associated with the larger farm, with older chickens, and if the chicken farm were sampled in the winter or spring, using coccidiostat in the food was not associated. The peak oocyst score in the litter occurred at >6th week of age. Most farms (97%) had E. acervulina; (41%) had E. maxima and (12%) had E. tenella.     

从预防亚临床型球虫病中获取利润

在现代的家禽养殖场中,球虫病是最常见的寄生虫疾病之一。由于大多数肉鸡饲料含有抗球虫剂,故肉鸡的球虫病在临床上很少见。然而,亚临床球虫病却是肉鸡群中最常被诊断出的疾病。     

Effect of ibuprofen on coccidiosis in broiler chickens

Ibuprofen (IBU)-a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-inhibits the biosynthesis of prostaglandins with pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties and is therefore proposed as a candidate molecule for the treatment of coccidiosis in broiler chickens. In all experiments, IBU was administered via drinking water. In a first experiment, chickens were infected at 10 or 21 days of age with oocysts of Eimeria acervulina (5 X 10(4)), Eimeria maxima (3 X 10(4)), and Eimeria tenella (7.5 X 10(3)) and medicated with IBU at a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight (BW). In a second experiment, chickens were infected at 6 days of age with 10(4) oocysts of E. acervulina and medicated with IBU at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW. In the third experiment, an inoculum consisting of 5 x 10(4) or 10(5) E. acervulina oocysts was administered at 6 days of age to chickens medicated with IBU at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW. In a fourth experiment, the effect of IBU on sporulation and infectivity of E. acervulina oocysts was studied. Coccidial lesion scores (CLSs), oocyst shedding, and weight gain were used as evaluation parameters in all experiments except the fourth, where weight gain was not taken into account. In addition, the sporulation percentage was determined in the last experiment. No influence of IBU on the indicated parameters was observed after providing the drug at a dose of 15 mg/kg BW, whereas CLSs and oocyst shedding were reduced when IBU was provided at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW. However, IBU did not significantly show any effect on the degree of sporulation and infectivity of E. acervulina oocysts at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW.     

肉鸡球虫病的综合防治

鸡球虫病是严重危害养鸡业的疾病之一,主要侵害1～3月龄以内的雏鸡,尤以15～50日龄幼鸡最易感,其发病率占鸡病的1/6～1/5。本病多发于高温潮湿季节,有明显的季节性。鸡舍阴暗潮湿、鸡群密度大、场地有污水、卫生条件差等都是本病发生的诱因,被病鸡污染的饲料、饮水和场地是主要的传染源。1预防鸡球虫病的预防可以从环境卫生消毒、培育抗病品系、药物预防、免疫预防等多方面入手。对饲养早期特别强调环境卫生消毒的重要性这一点,实践证明,仅采用这项措施并不能有效控制球虫病;培育抗病体系,也只是在理论上可行,但实际上存在很大难度。经长期…     

鸡球虫病难控制的原因及对策

用户往往把使用药物当作控制鸡球虫病的主要手段，而忽略了加强鸡舍的日常管理等基本措施，且在实际生产中有时用药不合理，如许多小型鸡场存在盲目用药，剂量不足或过度用药，投药途径不当、不注意轮换用药，造成球虫耐药性严重，导致药效下降甚至无效，药物控制难度增大。     

肉鸡球虫病的发病原因及防控措施

肉鸡球虫病是严重威胁养禽业的重要的原虫病，给养殖业带来了巨大损失。通过近两年对江西、福建等地调查发现，肉鸡群暴发球虫病或混合感染球虫病的比率很高，提醒广大养殖户谨防球虫。     

Prevalence of subclinical mastitis in dairy farms in urban and peri-urban areas of Kampala, Uganda

It is widely recognized that subclinical mastitis (SCM) is an extensive problem in the dairy industry worldwide. It is of particular concern in developing countries. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of SCM in dairy cattle in the urban and peri-urban areas of Kampala, Uganda and to gain information about pathogens and antibiotic resistance patterns. The study was conducted as a field study in 18 smallholder dairy farms in peri-urban Kampala, Uganda. All cows at the farms were physically examined, and cows with signs of clinical mastitis were excluded. Cows (n?=?195) were tested with California Mastitis Test (CMT), and udder quarters with CMT score ≥3 (scale 1–5) were milk sampled for bacteriological analysis. To allow further sub-analysis of the results, the stage of lactation, parity, milk production, production type, udder hygiene, and cow breed were recorded. Results indicate that 86.2 % (n?=?168) of the tested cows had SCM in one or more quarters. The most common bacteriological outcome was infection with coagulase-negative staphylococci (54.7 %), followed by negative growth (24.9 %) and streptococci (16.2 %); all of which (n?=?34) were sensitive to penicillin. Of the tested staphylococci (n?=?17), the majority (58.9 %) were positive for penicillinase production. Factors with significant impact on the prevalence of SCM at cow level were the stage of lactation, parity, and production type. The results suggest that the prevalence of SCM in Uganda is substantially higher than reported in previous studies and in other comparable developing countries. This implies that SCM deserves more attention and that improvement in dairy cow husbandry in terms of hygiene and management is necessary.     

肉仔鸡球虫病的诊治

天津市杨柳青前桑园村李某地面平养5000只肉仔鸡，在25日龄时发病，有百余只小鸡死亡。     

Husbandry risk factors associated with subclinical coccidiosis in young cattle

This paper describes an observational longitudinal study of cattle farms in England and Wales, which aimed to identify management practices associated with the presence of Eimeria spp. infection in young cattle. Thirty cattle farms situated in England and Wales were selected and one group of more than 20 young cattle aged 5-18 months of age was monitored on each farm. Three variables were identified as significantly associated with status in a multivariable model. The odds of finding Eimeria spp. were lower on farms that kept sheep on the same premises as the cattle, as was an increase in the maximum age within the sampled group. The latter probably reflects the development of post-infection immunity within the sampled animals. Good water-trough hygiene protected against Eimeria spp. oocyst excretion, with the odds of detection being higher on farms where it was reported that the water troughs were not cleaned and emptied more than once per month. The value of frequent emptying and cleaning of water troughs in reducing the exposure of calves to Eimeria spp. and thus lowering the impact of coccidiosis, both clinical and subclinical should be communicated to cattle farmers.     

控制猪球虫病的亚临床感染

近20年来,商品化养猪场的猪群健康状况有了相当大的提高。虽然许多重要的疾病已被消灭,但仍然存在着若干较温和的地方病(如球虫病),它们会显著提高养猪生产成本。     

肉鸡球虫感染的发病新特点和防治措施

由于去年夏季持续高温和干旱,肉鸡球虫病的发病机会大增,且有许多病例与新城疫并发。若单纯利用球虫药物治疗或按新城疫进行治疗,效果并不理想,所以有人认为是坏死性肠炎或弧肠孤病毒感染,实则不然,主要还是球虫病,或并发新城疫。二者并发时须免疫新城疫弱毒苗,同时用青霉素及其它球虫药几个疗程才能达到彻底治疗目的。 1 发病特点和临床表现 不同日龄鸡都会发病,在蛋鸡以育雏和育成鸡为主,产蛋鸡也有发病,且会造成一定死亡和产蛋下降。球虫卵囊多通过尘土随风传播,也通过蚊蝇、野鸟等携带传播。农村的养鸡场(户)中,网上平养和舍内清洁干燥的发病较轻,而地面散养、卫生条件较差的发病较重。发病日龄多在15～45日龄,12日龄内的雏鸡由于有母源抗体的保护,很少发病。病鸡表现贫血,鸡冠苍白,精神不振,羽毛蓬乱,采食减少,有的鸡有瘫痪和点头的神经症状,发病率达80%以上,死亡率一般为5%～20%。出现神经症状有三种可能原因:①并发新城疫后遗症所致;②球虫本身损害肠道,同时也伤害鸡的神经系统所致;③由于损害肠壁后维生素等营养成份不能充分吸收,致使出现维生素缺乏引起的神经症状。由于使用球虫药进行治疗,典型的盲肠球虫(柔嫩艾美耳球虫)较少见,而主要为小肠球虫,所以粪便多为胡萝卜色(桔红色)粘液状,而少有鲜红血便或深红色血便。使用国产或进口球虫疫苗的鸡场发病情况相对较轻或不发病。常用的克球粉、盐霉素、球痢灵、痢特灵、马杜拉霉素、地克珠利、百球清、球杀死等药物对本病的疗效都不太理想,因此有的人认为是别的什么病,但按坏死性肠炎和弧肠孤病毒感染治疗也无效。     

合理使用抗球虫药物及肉鸡球虫病的控制

各日龄的肉鸡对球虫都是敏感的。球虫为单性、细胞内寄生的原虫,发育无需中间宿主,繁殖力极强。虽然从40年代初开始应用磺胺类药物来治疗、预防球虫病,随后又涌现出了一大批不同类型的抗球虫药物,从而使鸡球虫病已不再是毁火性的,但球虫病也并未因此而得到完全控制。相反,在世界范围内,随着集约化养殖业的迅速发展,由球虫病所造成的损失也相应地逐年增     

Prevalence and molecular mechanism of macrolide and lincosamide resistance in staphylococci isolated from subclinical bovine mastitis in Turkey

Macrolide and lincosamide (ML) resistance and the related resistance genes of staphylococci were assessed from cases of bovine subclinical mastitis. Of the 104 Staphylococcus aureus and 62 coagulase negative staphylococcus (CoNS) isolates, 26 (25%) and 12 (19.4%) were resistant to ML, respectively. While constitutive ML resistance phenotype accounted for 15.4% (16/104) of S. aureus and 8.1% (5/62) of CoNS, inducible ML resistance phenotype accounted for 2.9% (3/104) of S. aureus and 3.2% (2/62) of CoNS. Among erythromycin-resistant isolates, single or various combination of different resistance genes were detected. The results of this study showed that ML resistance was prevalent among staphylococci from subclinical bovine mastitis cases in Hatay, Turkey. Therefore, a continuous surveillance is necessary to minimise the spread of antimicrobial-resistant staphylococci.     

Prevalence of oocysts of Isospora suis and Eimeria spp from sows on farms with and without a history of neonatal coccidiosis

Oocysts of Isospora suis were not found in any of 77 fecal samples from sows on farms with a history of neonatal coccidiosis. Oocysts of Isospora suis were found in 1 of 172 fecal samples from farms without a history of neonatal coccidiosis. Oocysts of Eimeria spp were found in 81.8% of the sows from farms with a history of neonatal coccidiosis and in 94.8% of the sows from farms without a history of neonatal coccidiosis. Oocysts of Isospora spp from birds were encountered as a pseudoparasite in several fecal samples.     

Immunostimulatory and protective effects of Aloe vera against coccidiosis in industrial broiler chickens

This paper reports the immunostimulatory and protective effects of Aloe vera extracts (aqueous and ethanolic) against coccidiosis in industrial broiler chickens. The study was divided into two experiments. Experiment-I was conducted for the evaluation of immunostimulatory activity of A. vera and experiment-II demonstrated the protective efficacy of A. vera extracts against coccidiosis in chickens. Results of the experiment-I revealed significantly higher (p<0.05) lymphoproliferative responses in chickens administered with ethanolic extract of A. vera as compared to those administered with aqueous extract and control group. Microplate haemagglutination assay for humoral response on day 7th and 14th post primary and secondary injections of sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) revealed significantly higher (p<0.05) anti SRBC antibody (total Igs, IgG and IgM) titers in chickens of experimental groups as compared to the control group. None of the extracts, however, demonstrated significant effects on the development of lymphoid organs. Results of experiment-II revealed maximum protection (60%) in chickens administered with aqueous Aloe extract as compared to the ethanolic extract administered chickens (45%). Mean oocysts per gram of droppings in the control group was significantly higher (p<0.05) as compared to the chickens in both the experimental groups. Chickens administered with aqueous Aloe extract showed a minimal mean lesion score (2.3) followed by those administered with ethanolic Aloe extract (2.6) and control chickens (3.05) for caeca, and a similar pattern was observed for intestinal lesion scoring. Further, significantly higher weight gains and antibody titers (p<0.05) were observed in chickens administered with A. vera extracts as compared to those in the control group. It was concluded that A. vera may be a potential and valuable candidate to stimulate the immune responses and can be used successfully as an immunotherapeutic agent against coccidiosis in industrial broiler chickens.     

Drug-sensitivity of 99 isolates of coccidia from broiler farms

Coccidia were isolated from 99 broiler farms in 12 broiler-producing states and tested for sensitivity to contemporary anticoccidial drugs. The isolates usually comprised two or more species, including 92 Eimeria acervulina, 47 E. maxima, 28 E. tenella, and 10 E. brunetti. Based on intestinal-lesion-score reduction of 30% or more, 38% of isolates were resistant to monensin (110 ppm), 29% to salinomycin (60 ppm), 20% to nicarbazin (125 ppm), and 46% to amprolium + ethopabate (125 + 4 ppm). Isolates with 50% or greater reduction of lesion scores were considered sensitive. Thirty-three percent were sensitive to monensin, 53% to salinomycin, 67% to nicarbazin, and 39% to amprolium + ethopabate. Other isolates had intermediate response to drugs and were considered to have "reduced sensitivity." There was some evidence for incomplete cross resistance to the polyether, ionophorous products.     

The value of plant extracts with antioxidant activity in attenuating coccidiosis in broiler chickens

Coccidiosis remains one of the most important diseases in the poultry industry and results in the annual loss of millions of US dollars by the poultry industry. In South Africa and other developing countries where a large percentage of the population is unemployed, cheap food production is necessary. If the control of the coccidian parasite could be made more economical, these savings could be passed on to the consumer. In Europe, where the economics are different, people are becoming more aware of the potential dangers of using antimicrobials in producing animal protein. A solution to both these problems could be the use of plant products that function by mechanisms other than those of chemotherapeutics, with the additional advantage of a natural origin. Antioxidant compounds could hold promise for the control of Eimeria infections due to the association of coccidial infection with lipid peroxidation of the intestinal mucosa. Four plant extracts with antioxidant activity were screened for their anticoccidial activity in vivo with toltrazuril as the positive control. Combretum woodii (160 mg/kg) proved to be extremely toxic to the birds, while treatment with Tulbaghia violacea (35 g/kg), Vitis vinifera (75 mg/kg) and Artemisia afra (150 mg/kg) resulted in feed conversion ratios similar to toltrazuril, and higher than the untreated control. T. violacea also significantly decreased the oocyst production in the birds. From this study we conclude that antioxidant-rich plant extracts have potential benefits in treating coccidial infections. The promising results obtained with T. violacea justify further studies on the potential value of the plant as a therapeutic or prophylactic anticoccidial agent.