Further studies on the use of chicken embryo infections for the study of drug resistance in Eimeria tenella

Abstract

Infections in the chicken embryo have been used to study the development of drug resistance in an embryo adapted strain of E. tenella. Resistance was developed to decoquinate, clopidol and robenidine by serially passaging this strain, but evidence for the development of resistance to amprolium was inconclusive. Resistance to decoquinate developed more readily than to the other drugs. Attempts to increase resistance to clopidol, robenidine and amprolium by increasing the sporozoite inoculum and by the use of a mutagenic agent were unsuccesful. No cross-resistance was found between the 4 drugs. Drug resistant lines of the Houghton strain (H) of E. tenella, made resistant to the 4 anticoccidial drugs by passage in chickens, were found to be resistant when evaluated using chicken embryo infections. Lines made resistant to decoquinate were not controlled by any concentration of this drug, suggesting that resistance, once developed, was absolute and not dependent on drug concentration. Lines made resistant to robenidine, clopidol and amprolium, however, were controlled by higher drug concentrations suggesting that in this case resistance was dependent on drug concentration.