Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the second internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA for three species of Eimeria from chickens in Taiwan

Coccidiosis of chickens caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria (Coccidia: Eimeriidae) is an enteric disease that results in great economic losses throughout the world, including Taiwan. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific for the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA), three species of Eimeria, E. tenella, E. maxima, and E. acervulina have been successfully characterised from chickens in Taiwan. The sizes of PCR products from various isolates representing these three species were between 370 and 580 base pairs (bp). After cloning and sequencing of the PCR products, high nucleotide sequence identity (96.8-100%) was observed within a species. In addition, ITS-2 nucleotide sequences for E. tenella had higher homology (98.5-99.3%) than E. maxima (81.6-96.5%) when compared with appropriate sequences deposited in GenBank. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a 412-bp ITS-2 sequence for E. acervulina from chickens.     

Diagnosis of Eimeria species using traditional and molecular methods in field studies

The objective of this study was to identify and characterize species of Eimeria in broiler chickens using traditional morphological and pathological plus molecular (DNA amplification) diagnostic methodologies. Using a combination of those techniques it was possible to identify the presence of multiple circulating species in the flock as well as higher frequencies for some of them, especially Eimeria praecox and Eimeria maxima, which were identified in 100% of the flocks. The frequencies of the other species were Eimeria mitis and Eimeria necatrix (93.3%), Eimeria tenella (76,7%), Eimeria acervulina (56.7%) and Eimeria brunetti (16.7%). However using the lesion score, the most common species were E. maxima (46.7%), E. acervulina (30%), E. tenella (23.3%), and E. necatrix (10%). E. brunetti and E. praecox were not identified by using lesion score. DNA amplification had detection sensitivity for Eimeria species in the field samples of at least 20 oocysts. The implementation of DNA amplification as a routine diagnostic technique in aviaries can assist Eimeria population.     

Higher incidence of Eimeria spp. field isolates sensitive for diclazuril and monensin associated with the use of live coccidiosis vaccination with paracox-5 in broiler farms

Twenty European Eimeria spp. field isolates were subjected to an anticoccidial sensitivity test (AST). The anticoccidial drugs tested were diclazuril (Clinacox) and monensin (Elancoban). The assay was performed in a battery cage trial. Infected medicated birds were compared with an unmedicated control group. Coccidial lesion scores and oocyst shedding were used as parameters. The results of the AST show that resistance is common amongst coccidiosis field isolates, especially Eimeria acervulina (68% and 53% resistance for diclazuril and monensin, respectively). Resistance is less frequent amongst Eimeria maxima (38% and 50% resistance for diclazuril and monensin, respectively) and Eimeria tenella isolates (23% and 38% resistance for diclazuril and monensin, respectively). A highly significant influence of the coccidiosis prevention program (live coccidiosis vaccination with Paracox-5 vs. anticoccidial drugs in feed) on the sensitivity patterns of Eimeria spp. field isolates for both diclazuril (P= 0.000) and monensin (P= 0.001) was found. Further, when looking at the single species and each anticoccidial drug level, significantly more sensitivity of E. acervulina for monensin (P= 0.018), E. maxima for diclazuril (P = 0.009), and E. tenella for diclazuril (P = 0.007) was found in isolates originating from vaccinated flocks. Moreover, for E. acervulina and diclazuril, E. maxima and monensin, and E. tenella and monensin a trend toward higher sensitivity of isolates for these products was found when live coccidiosis vaccination was applied. The present study shows that sensitivity for the anticoccidial drugs diclazuril and monensin is more frequent in Eimeria spp. field isolates originating from broiler farms where a coccidiosis vaccination policy is followed.     

特异PCR方法用于鸡的3种艾美耳球虫混合感染鉴别的研究

用单卵囊分离法获得的鸡的3种艾美耳球虫（每种各2株）卵囊：柔嫩艾美耳球虫（Eimeria tenella）、巨型艾美耳球虫（E．maxima）、堆型艾美耳球虫（E．acervulina）。经纯化、提取基因组DNA后，用报道的种特异引物做PCR扩增分析，以确定是否为纯种。结果发现这3种球虫均存在混合感染的情况。该结果为进一步研究这3种球虫奠定了基础，并说明特异PCR方法能够有效地、快速地鉴别球虫虫种。     

Differential diagnosis of five avian Eimeria species by polymerase chain reaction using primers derived from the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) sequence

Chicken coccidia are protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria. They cause economical losses in the poultry industry globally. The various species can be distinguished on the basis of the morphology of the oocysts and parasitic site in intestine, but these criteria sometimes are unreliable. Therefore, a species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed. Based on variable sequence regions, specific primers were constructed for the differentiation of five Eimeria species (Eimeria acervulina, E. brunette, E. maxima, E. necatrix, and E. tenella). PCR products were amplified from coccidian vaccine (coccivac-D and coccivac-B) and E. tenella and were subsequently sequenced. Similarities of the five species sequences between the vaccines and Genbank were 94-100%. Analysis of the E. tenella internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) partial sequence from Taiwan and from Genbank indicated that the similarity was 99.6%. The PCR sensitivity test of E. tenella in Taiwan is 50 oocysts. The five sets of primers will not amplify any non-specific bands of the chicken genome or its intestinal contents. Therefore, the five sets of specifically designed primers are guaranteed to be useful for differential diagnosis of avian coccidiosis caused by Eimeria spp.     

Inter- and intra-strain variation and PCR detection of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) sequences of Australian isolates of Eimeria species from chickens

The objective of this study was to confirm the presence of seven species of Eimeria involved in chicken coccidiosis in Australia by comparing internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) sequences, ITS-1 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods and to apply phylogenetic analysis to assess evolutionary relationships of Australian isolates. Twenty-two distinct ITS-1 regions of 15 Australian Eimeria isolates were sequenced, and analysed using maximum parsimony, distance and maximum likelihood methods. Poor bootstrap support, resulting from high ITS-1 sequence heterogeneity between all species groups, resulted in polychotomy of the Eimeria species in all three trees generated by these analyses. Percentage identity analyses revealed two distant ITS-1 lineages in both E. mitis and E. maxima at the same levels that separate the two species E. tenella and E. necatrix. One E. maxima lineage consisted of Australian isolates, the other American isolates, with one European sequence (originating from the same isolate) in each lineage. One Australian E. praecox sequence was only distantly related (33% variation) to three E. praecox sequences from Australian and European isolates. Short and long ITS-1 variants were isolated from both E. tenella (cloned line) and E. necatrix isolates with deletions (106 and 73 bp, respectively) in the short variants within the 3' region of the ITS-1 sequence. ITS-1 sequences of strains of both E. brunetti and E. acervulina species varied the least. Apart from E. maxima, all of the ITS-1 sequences of the six remaining individual species clustered to the exclusion of other species in all phylogenetic trees. Published ITS-1 tests for E. necatrix, E. acervulina, E. brunetti and E. tenella, combined with three new tests for E. mitis, E. praecox and Australian E. maxima amplified all respective Australian isolates specifically in a nested format using conserved ITS-1 PCR products as template to improve the sensitivity. All PCR tests were confirmed against a collection of 24 Australian chicken Eimeria isolates and contaminating species were detected in some instances. In conclusion, once the genetic variation between species and strains is determined, the ITS-1 is a good target for the development of species-specific assays, but the ITS-1 sequences alone do not seem suitable for the confirmation of phylogenetic inferences for these species. This study reports the first attempt at the analysis of the phylogeny and sequence comparison of the Eimeria species involved in chicken coccidiosis in Australia.     

Evaluation of the efficacy of maduramacin ammonium in combination with roxarsone and avoparcin in caged broiler chickens

1. The anticoccidial activity of maduramicin ammonium (5 mg/kg food) administered alone or with roxarsone (50 mg/kg food) and/or avoparcin (10 mg/kg food) was evaluated in battery-reared broilers artificially challenged with recent field culture mixtures containing Eimeria acervulina, E. maxima and E. tenella or E. mivati, E. necatrix and E. brunetti. 2. Maduramicin ammonium exhibited a high degree of anticoccidial activity and the addition of roxarsone and/or avoparcin in food at recommended concentrations did not adversely affect the activity.     

Anticoccidial evaluation of halofuginone, lasalocid, maduramicin, monensin and salinomycin

The activities of five anticoccidials were compared against Eimeria species in/of chickens, in controlled in vivo and in vitro laboratory studies. Two more recent and potent market entries (maduramicin and halofuginone) were compared with three older polyether antibiotic anticoccidials (monensin, lasalocid and salinomycin). Halofuginone, lasalocid, maduramicin, monensin and salinomycin were evaluated at 3, 125, 5, 120 and 66 ppm, respectively, of active drug in the diets. At these levels, all five drugs demonstrated significant activity against Eimeria tenella, E. maxima, E. necatrix, E. brunetti and E. acervulina (in vivo). Monensin was least effective against E. tenella, and one of the lesser efficacious drugs against E. necatrix, maduramicin, was least effective against E. maxima. In studies of single Eimeria species infections, comparable weight gains were noted for the drugs. In the mixed Eimeria species infections, however, birds treated with maduramicin had significantly higher weight gains than did birds medicated with monensin. Unlike in vivo potencies, titration in vitro indicated that monensin was most potent (active at 10(-6) mcg ml-1), and maduramicin and lasalocid least potent (inactive at less than or equal to 10(-3) mcg ml-1).     

鸡胚接种柔嫩艾美耳球虫和堆形艾美耳球虫活卵囊的免疫保护试验

给18日龄鸡胚接种一定剂量的柔嫩艾美耳球虫(Eim eria tenella)和/或堆形艾美耳球虫(E.acervulina)孢子化卵囊,出雏后在无球虫环境中笼养,1~10日龄每天收集各组粪便样本,计数克粪便卵囊数(OPG),并于14日龄时以大剂量同源孢子化卵囊攻虫,以相对增重率(RWG)、饲料转化率(FCR)、相对卵囊产量(ROP)评价免疫保护效果。结果显示,以E.tenella或E.acervulina卵囊免疫18日龄鸡胚,其卵囊排出的潜隐期及达到峰值的时间与1日龄雏鸡接种组相一致,有相似的排卵囊曲线,提示其诱导免疫的建立是在出雏后开始建立的。攻虫后各免疫组的RWG由攻虫对照组的31.9%~51.7%提高到了76.5%~83.6%,RCR由攻虫对照组的4.11~4.89改善为2.72~2.96,ROP降至4.7%~23.5%。结果表明以一定剂量E.tenella和E.acervulina卵囊单独或混合经羊膜腔免疫18日龄鸡胚都可以建立起针对出雏后14日龄同源攻虫的良好免疫保护力。比较混合免疫E.tenella和E.acervulina卵囊组与单一接种E.tenella或E.acervulina卵囊组的免疫效果发现,混合免疫组的各项指标均稍优于后者。     

Improved polymerase chain reaction technique for determining the species composition of Eimeria in poultry litter

An improved polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for determining the species composition of Eimeria in poultry litter was developed by incorporating species-specific internal standards in the assay. Internal standard molecules were prepared by fusing seven different Eimeria species-specific intervening transcribed sequence 1 (ITS1) rDNA primer pairs to a non-Eimeria DNA molecule and by cloning the hybrid DNA molecules into a plasmid. The internal DNA standards were then used in Eimeria-specific ITS 1 PCR, and they were found to be capable of detecting E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. praecox, and E. tenella oocysts isolated directly from poultry litter.     

Anticoccidial effects of xanthohumol

Xanthohumol (XN), a prenylated chalcone from the hops flower, was examined for its ability to reduce invasion of Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells by Eimeria tenella sporozoites (SZ), as well as to reduce invasion by E. tenella and E. acervulina SZ in the chick host. Additionally, XN was tested as an anticoccidial feed additive at 20 ppm against challenge infections with E. acervulina, E. maxima, and E. tenella. Cell invasion by E. tenella SZ was inhibited 66% by treatment of SZ with 22 ppm XN. This inhibition was associated with an apparent physical disruption of the apical ends of the SZ. Rectal challenges with E. tenella SZ treated with 5, 10, and 20 ppm XN resulted in significantly reduced gross-lesion scores and normal chick-host weight gains compared with challenge with untreated SZ. Oral challenges with similarly treated E. acervulina SZ, accomplished with prior antacid treatment, resulted in significantly reduced gross lesions and reduced oocyst shedding compared with challenge with untreated SZ and were associated with physical disruption of sporozoite morphology. In a pilot test, provision of feed supplemented with 20 ppm XN for 3 days before challenge to 6 days after challenge did not control challenge infections with E. acervulina, E. maxima, or E. tenella as judged by measurements of weight gain, feed conversion, and gross lesions. Although XN-fed chicks infected with E. acervulina and E. maxima shed fewer oocysts than those on control feed, the differences in numbers were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).     

Isolation and selection of ionophore-tolerant Eimeria precocious lines: E. tenella, E. maxima and E. acervulina

Eimeria parasites were isolated from Nanhai Guangdong province (southern China) and studied in chickens in wire cages to evaluate their drug resistance against commonly used ionophores: monensin (100 mg/kg of feed), lasolacid (90 mg/kg), salinomycin (60 mg/kg), maduramicin (5 mg/kg) and semduramicin (25 mg/kg). Chinese Yellow Broiler Chickens were infected with 40,000 crude sporulated Eimeria oocysts at 15 days of age and prophylactic medication commenced a day prior to infection. Drug resistance was assessed for each ionophore drug by calculating the anticoccidial index (ACI) and percentage optimum anticoccidial activity (POAA) based on relative weight gain, rate of oocyst production and lesion values. Results revealed that Nanhai Eimeria oocysts comprising of E. tenella, E. maxima and E. acervulina, were resistant to monensin, sensitive to both salinomycin and lasolacid and partially sensitive to maduramicin and semduramicin. By selection for early development of oocysts during passage through chickens, the prepatent time of E. tenella, E. maxima and E. acervulina were reduced by 49, 36 and 22 h, respectively. The precocious lines are less pathogenic than the parent strains from which they were selected and conferred a satisfactory protection for chickens against coccidiosis. These ionophore-tolerant precocious lines could have wider applications in the development of anticoccidial vaccines for sustainable control of coccidiosis.     

Relative value of oocyst counts in evaluating anticoccidial activity.

Birds medicated with roxarsone and in another experiment with zoalene in the feed produced higher oocysts counts than unmedicated control birds receiving the same oocyst dose of Eimeria tenella or a mixture of six species (E. tenella, E. necatrix, E. brunetti, E. maxima, E. acervulina, and E. mitvati). These experiments confirm the conclusion that oocyst counts constitute an unsatisfactory and unreliable parameter for judging effectiveness of an anticoccidial even though such increases are a relatively rare occurrence in anticoccidial evaluation experiments.     

山东省潍坊地区肉鸡球虫的抗药性调查

应用石歧杂肉仔鸡,检测了采自我国山东潍坊的５种艾美耳球虫对６种常用抗球虫药的敏感性。根据最适抗球虫活性百分率、相对卵囊产量和病变记分减少率３项指标综合判定,山东潍坊地区的柔嫩艾美耳球虫,堆型艾美耳球虫,巨型艾美耳球虫、丰氏菌美耳球虫和缓艾美耳球虫的５个混合种对盐霉素Ｓａｌｉｎｏｍｙｃｉｎ、拉水 攻素Ｌａｓａｌｏｃｉｄ、莫能霉素Ｍｏｎｅｎｓｉｎ、马杜拉霉素Ｍａｄｕｒａｍｉｃｉｎ和常山酮Ｈａｌｏｆｕｇ     

Prior or concurrent exposure to different species of avian Eimeria: effect on sporozoite invasion and chick growth performance.

The effects of prior (immunity) or concurrent administration of Eimeria acervulina or Eimeria tenella on cellular invasion in vivo and in vitro and on growth performance in white leghorn chickens (WLC) were examined. Weight gains of WLC immunized with E. acervulina and challenged with E. tenella were significantly greater than those of nonimmunized chicks challenged with E. tenella (this occurred despite the increased invasion by E. tenella in E. acervulina-immunized chicks that was reported earlier). The weight gains and modest but consistent improvements in intestinal lesion scores, feed conversion ratios, and oocyst shedding in immunized/challenged WLC indicated that E. acervulina conferred a small measure of protection against E. tenella infection that was independent of the effect on invasion. In contrast, immunization of WLC with E. tenella significantly decreased (41%-51%) invasion by E. acervulina as compared with that in nonimmunized WLC but had little effect on chick growth performance. Concurrent inoculation of chicks with E. tenella and E. acervulina had little effect on invasion by E. tenella sporozoites or on subsequent performance of the chicks. In vitro, prior exposure of cultured cells to either of two isolates of E. tenella also caused a significant decrease in invasion by E. acervulina. No gross changes occurred in the culture morphology between the E. tenella-inoculated and noninoculated cultures. Collectively, the data indicate that prior exposure of WLC and cultured cells to single isolates of avian coccidia markedly influenced invasion by other species but had less effect on the growth performance of the birds.     

Inter and intra-specific genetic variation of avian Eimeria isolated from Iran by random amplified polymorphic DNA--polymerase chain reaction

Eimeria species from poultry breeder farms without previous exposure to anticoccidial vaccines in five distinct geographical regions of Iran were examined for genetic relatedness by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay. Eight different oligonucleotide decamers with arbitrary DNA sequences were tested as primers to amplify DNA from five isolates of each E. acervulina, E. tenella, and E. maxima. Depending on the species/isolate-primer combination, between 1 and 14 DNA fragments ranging in size from 240 to 3000 bp were amplified. The two isolates originated from Northeast and North parts of Iran showed minor differences and two isolates originated from Northeast and Southwest of Iran showed major differences in their amplified DNA patterns. The intra-specific similarity coefficient within five isolates of each species of, E. acervulina, E. tenella, E. maxima was 74, 82 and 72%, respectively. The distance indices observed between species were greater than those found between isolates (80-90%) with all examined primers. The inferred phylogenetic tree on the fingerprinting of all species revealed that the RAPD-PCR can easily differentiate within and between species and could be a useful and valuable tool in future epidemiological studies, designing and developing of vaccines against avian coccidosis, here in Iran and neighboring countries.     

五种鸡球虫卵囊的同工酶研究

采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶管状电泳，研究柔嫩艾美耳球虫、毒害艾美耳球虫、巨型艾美耳球虫、变位艾美耳球虫和堆型艾美耳球虫卵囊的乳酸脱氢酶、葡萄糖磷酸异构酶、葡萄糖－６－磷酸脱氢酶、碱性磷酸酶、６－磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶的同工酶。结果显示５种球虫卵囊的５种同工酶酶谱能反映出虫种差异。作者认为同工酶技术有助于球虫种的分类。     

柔嫩艾美耳球虫病毒的鉴定

鸡球虫病是由艾美耳属（Eimeria）的一种单细胞寄生性原虫引起的严重危害养禽业发展的重要疾病之一,遍及世界各地。感染鸡的艾美耳属球虫中,国外已报道在巨型艾美耳球虫（E.maxima）,堆型艾美耳球虫（E.acervu-lina）,毒害艾美耳球虫（E.necatrix）和布氏艾美耳球虫（E.brunetti）中发现了病毒粒子或病毒RNA。但是作为危害最严重的柔嫩艾美耳球虫是否有病毒感染,国内外迄今尚无报道。本研究首次在柔嫩艾美耳球虫中发现病毒并对其进行了鉴定。通过核酸分析、RNA依赖的RNA聚合酶（RDRP）活性和电镜形态观察对病毒进行鉴定。核酸酶的敏感性试验结果表明在柔嫩艾美耳球虫总核酸电泳图谱上观察到的大小分别为1.4、2.4和3.6kb的3条病毒带均不能被DNA酶（100mg/L）降解,但可被RNA酶（1.0mg/L）降解,表明这些核酸为RNA。另外,这些核酸不能被高盐浓度（0.3mol/L NaCl）RNase A（10mg/L）降解,但可被低盐浓度（0.015mol/L NaCl）RNase A（10mg/L）降解,并且采用α-32P标记的UTP掺入法测得该病毒样核酸具有RNA依赖RNA聚合酶（RDRP）活性,表明这些核酸为双链RNA（dsRNA）。利用蔗糖梯度离心和透射电镜技术对柔嫩艾美耳球虫病毒进行了分离和鉴定。电镜负染观察到柔嫩艾美耳球虫病毒粒子外观呈球形,二十面体,无囊膜,直径38nm。     

福建省鸡球虫病感染情况的调查

为掌握福建省鸡球虫病的发病状况及影响因素,2009年12月至2010年11月,采用粪便漂浮法和卵囊培养法对本省的球虫病情况进行调查,并在实验室对送检的1 500份粪便样品进行了分析.结果发现当地鸡体内有6种球虫,分别是柔嫩艾美耳球虫(Eimeria tenlla)、巨型艾美耳球虫(E.maxima)、堆形艾美耳球虫(E...     

Gel-Bead Delivery of Eimeria oocysts protects chickens against coccidiosis

Vaccines composed of either virulent or attenuated Eimeria spp. oocysts have been developed as an alternative to medication of feed with ionophore drugs or synthetic chemicals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of gel-beads containing a mixture of Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, and Eimeria tenella oocysts as a vaccine against coccidiosis. Newly hatched chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) were either sprayed with an aqueous suspension of Eimeria oocysts or were allowed to ingest feed containing Eimeria oocysts-incorporated gel-beads. Control day-old chicks were given an equivalent number of Eimeria oocysts (10(4) total) by oral gavage. After 3 days, chicks were randomly assigned to individual cages, and feces were collected between days 5 and 8 postinfection. All samples were processed for total Eimeria oocysts. At 4 wk of age, all chickens and a control nonimmunized group received a high-dose E acervulina, E maxima, and E. tenella challenge infection. Oocyst excretion by chicks fed gel-beads or inoculated by oral gavage was 10- to 100-fold greater than that of chicks spray-vaccinated with the Eimeria oocysts mixture (log 6.3-6.6 vs. log 4.8). Subsequent protection against challenge as measured by weight gain and feed conversion efficiency was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in gel-bead and oral gavage groups compared with spray-vaccinated or nonimmunized groups. Also, gel-bead and oral gavage groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) in weight gain and feed conversion efficiency compared with nonchallenged controls. These findings indicate that incorporation of Eimeria spp. oocysts in gel-beads may represent an effective way to deliver live oocyst vaccines to day-old chicks for preventing subsequent outbreaks of coccidiosis in the field.