Molecular Investigation of Eimeria Species in Broiler Farms in the Province of Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

Coccidiosis is a significant poultry disease caused by the Eimeria species. This study aims to determine the prevalence of Eimeria spp. on broiler farms in Vojvodina, along with the identification of parasite species, and assess the implemented biosecurity measures. The study was conducted on 100 broiler chicken farms (28 small-sized; 34 medium-sized; 38 large-sized farms) from June 2018 to December 2021. One pooled sample of faeces was collected from three to six-week-old chickens from each farm, and assessment of biosecurity measures was carried out using a questionnaire. Using the PCR method, DNA of Eimeria was found in 59 samples (59%), while 41 samples (41%) were negative. Four species of Eimeria were identified, and their prevalence was the following: E. acervulina (37%), E. maxima (17%), E. mitis (25%) and E. tenella (48%). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was established in the number of oocysts in flocks from small-sized farms compared to medium-sized farms. It was found that regular implementation of disinfection, disinsection and deratisation measures, as well as all the biosecurity measures, can significantly reduce the occurrence of coccidiosis. These results will help to develop better strategies for the control and prevention of coccidiosis on farms.

Epidemiological investigation of coccidiosis and associated risk factors in broiler chickens immunized with live anticoccidial vaccines in China

“…A comparably high prevalence has been reported in provinces in China such as Anhui (87.75%) ( 18 ), Hubei (97.79%), and Henan (96.70%) ( 16 ) and other countries including Greece (85.7%) ( 21 ), northeastern Algeria (99.5%) ( 22 ), Colombia (96.3%) ( 23 ), and Australia (98%) ( 24 ). Conversely, the prevalence was notably lower in Serbia, north India, Korean, northeastern Brazil, and southwestern Nigeria with rates of 59, 28.5, 75, 59, and 41.3% ( 25–29 ), respectively. The variance in Eimeria species occurrence can be attributed to differences in control methods, sampling times, animal management practices, and climatic conditions ( 30 ).…”

Prevalence and geographic distribution of Eimeria species on commercial broiler farms in Guangdong, China

“…This study investigated the prevalence of Eimeria species in Guangdong province, lling a critical research gap[13]. The overall prevalence of coccidiosis in Guangdong (87.06%; 343/394) was higher than that in Zhejiang province in China (30.7%; 95/310)[14], province in China (65.8%; 50/76)[15], Korean 291/388) [16], Serbia (59%; 59/100)[17], north India (28.5%; 171/600) [18], and southwestern Nigeria (41.3%; 2292/5544)[19]. The heightened prevalence in Guangdong province could be attributed to the climatic conditions, characterized by increased temperature and humidity, which promote the propagation of Eimeria in broiler ocks.…”