EVALUATION THE RESISTENCE OF EIMERIA SPP. LOCAL ISOLATES TO ANTICCOCIDIAL DRUGS AND THE EFFICACY OF LIVE ATTENUATED VACCINE AND/OR PREBIOTIC IN CONTROL OF EIMERIA INFECTION IN FAYOUMI CHICKENS

Abstract

Coccidiosis is the most important intestinal parasitic disease of poultry worldwide. It may lead to high economic losses in poultry because of the high mortality rates and high cost of medication. The present study aimed to evaluate the resistance of Eimeria spices local isolates to anticoccidials and to study the efficacy of live attenuated vaccines and/or prebiotics in control of Eimeria infection in Fayoumi chickens. Seventy gut samples of Faioumy chickens at 29-39 days old suspected for coccidiosis infection were collected from the research station of animal production at Malawi city, El-Minia Governorate, and subjected to isolation and morphological identification. Resistance of Eimeria species to anticoccidial drugs was evaluated using anticoccidial sensitivity profiles 1 (ASP1) and 2 (ASP2). Evaluation of the effectiveness of living attenuated vaccine (Fortegra) and/or prebiotic (Agrimos) in control of coccidiosis was done using experimental challenge with isolated Eimeria species. It was concluded that using morphological methods for identification of Eimeria spp. in Fayoumi chickens, five Eimeria spp. could be isolated; E. mitis, E. maxima, E. acervuline, E. tenella, and E. praecox. The present study provides evidence for the resistance of isolated Eimeria spp. to toltrazuril and good sensitivity to sulfaclozine and amprolium in fayoumi chickens. This study showed that living attenuated vaccine is effective for control of coccidiosis and better results will be obtained in case of addition of prebiotic to vaccine. The use of prebiotics in control of Eimeria infection is not effective.