Abstract
Small-scale commercial poultry production is emerging as an important form of livestock production in Africa, providing sources of income and animal protein to many poor households, yet the occurrence and impact of coccidiosis on this relatively new production system remains unknown. The primary objective of this study was to examine Eimeria parasite occurrence on small-scale commercial poultry farms in Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia. Additionally, farm economic viability was measured by calculating the farm gross margin and enterprise budget. Using these economic measures as global assessments of farm productivity, encompassing the diversity present in regional husbandry systems with a measure of fundamental local relevance, we investigated the detection of specific Eimeria species as indicators of farm profitability. Faecal samples and data on production parameters were collected from small-scale (less than 2,000 birds per batch) intensive broiler and layer farms in peri-urban Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia. All seven Eimeria species recognised to infect the chicken were detected in each country. Furthermore, two of the three genetic variants (operational taxonomic units) identified previously in Australia have been described outside of Australia for the first time. Detection of the most pathogenic Eimeria species associated with decreased farm profitability and may be considered as an indicator of likely farm performance. While a causal link remains to be demonstrated, the presence of highly pathogenic enteric parasites may pose a threat to profitable, sustainable small-scale poultry enterprises in Africa.
Highlights
Coccidiosis, a host specific intestinal disease caused by Eimeria species parasites, has long been recognised as a disease with major economic impact on poultry production within Europe and the developed world
Multiple species were identified on 63% (40/63) of the farms positive for Eimeria, with up to six species detected on a single farm (Figure 2)
The highly pathogenic species E. necatrix was detected on 21% (15/73) of the farms surveyed, all of which were infected by multiple species
Summary
Coccidiosis, a host specific intestinal disease caused by Eimeria species parasites, has long been recognised as a disease with major economic impact on poultry production within Europe and the developed world. The exquisite species-specificity of the immune protection stimulated by eimerian infection raises concerns that existing live vaccines may exert reduced or no control over parasites defined by these cryptic genotypes [7], an important consideration should they become more widely prevalent. Costs associated with coccidiosis include both direct and indirect components; including the cost of control measures, production losses and potential consequences to animal health from resistance to chemoprophylaxis [2,3]. While coccidiosis has been demonstrated to cause production losses, affecting the profitability of individual farms in Europe and the United States [5,8], the occurrence and economic relevance of coccidiosis on poultry farms in Africa remains largely unknown
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