Abstract
Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease of chickens of major economic importance to broiler industries worldwide. Species of coccidia found in chickens include Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria brunetti, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria mitis, Eimeria necatrix, Eimeria praecox, and Eimeria tenella. In recent years, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been developed to provide accurate and rapid identification of the seven known Eimeria species of chickens. The aim of this study was to use species-specific real-time PCR (qPCR) to identify which of the seven Eimeria species are present in Trinidad poultry. Seventeen pooled fecal samples were collected from 6 broiler farms (2–5 pens per farm) across Trinidad. Feces were also collected from birds showing clinical signs of coccidiosis in two live bird markets (pluck shops). qPCR revealed the presence of five species of Eimeria (E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. mitis, E. necatrix, and E. tenella), but not E. brunetti or E. praecox. Mixed infections were detected on all broiler farms, and DNA of two highly pathogenic Eimeria species (E. tenella and E. necatrix) was detected in feces taken from clinically sick birds sampled from the two pluck shops.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to fill this knowledge gap by using molecular quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) tools to identify which Eimeria species are present within Trinidadian poultry production systems and to elucidate what risks they pose
Knowledge defining pathogen occurrence in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is essential for the development of effective coccidiosis control programs on local broiler farms
DNA was found to be present in the pooled fecal samples collected from all 17 pens that were sampled on the six poultry farms (Table 1)
Summary
Through a combination of parasite ubiquity, fecundity, and pathogenicity, coccidiosis is one of the top ten veterinary diseases, having a detrimental impact on resource limited parts of the developing world It is one of the ten most economically significant endemic livestock diseases in the developed world [2]. E. necatrix and E. tenella are considered to be the most pathogenic, causing intestinal hemorrhage as well as high morbidity and mortality in naive chickens [6,7]; E. acervulina, E. brunetti, and E. maxima can cause clinical disease, whereas E. mitis and E. praecox are thought to be fairly non-pathogenic [7] but can cause increased feed conversion ratios and reduced growth rates [8]
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