Abstract
Ionophore compounds active against Eimeria species are widely used in intensive broiler systems and have formed the backbone of coccidiosis control for almost 50 years. Producers, however, are under pressure to reduce ionophore use due to consumer concerns over antimicrobial usage in food animals, and antimicrobial resistance. Moreover, current vaccines against Eimeria are commonly considered to be less cost-effective in intensive broiler systems, especially in Europe where attenuated live vaccines are used. An economic assessment of the impact of Eimeria and the disease coccidiosis, including the cost implications of different efficacies of control, is therefore timely to provide evidence for industry and policy development. A mechanistic model of broiler production under varying infection and control states was used to construct a dataset from which system productivity can be measured. Coccidiosis impact increased rapidly as control efficacy decreased. In the total absence of control, median impact was found to maximize at between €2.55 and €2.97 in lost production per meter squared of broiler house over a 33 day growing period. Coccidiosis remains a major risk to intensive broiler systems and the model developed allows investigation of issues related to coccidiosis control, antimicrobial use and the development of antimicrobial resistance.
Highlights
Coccidiosis is recognized as one of the principal intestinal disorders in intensive broiler production systems, limiting bird growth, and the efficiency of feed conversion [1]
The fit of the model simulation for broiler growth in the absence of infection was found to be extremely close to the source data when tested to day 63, far beyond the finishing age of commercial flocks typical in Europe (Figure 2)
This output was produced from the sequential application of the feed intake model, the metabolizable energy content of the feed determined from the feed schedule, and the broiler growth model
Summary
Coccidiosis is recognized as one of the principal intestinal disorders in intensive broiler production systems, limiting bird growth, and the efficiency of feed conversion [1]. Caused by organisms of the genus Eimeria, there are three main species that account for most coccidiosis in broilers: Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria tenella, and Eimeria maxima. They are globally ubiquitous, with the most common of these, Eimeria acervulina, reported to have prevalence estimates in excess of 90% in some flocks [2,3,4]. In addition to coccidiosis, Eimeria infection is a known risk factor for secondary infections and enteric dysbiosis, including necrotic enteritis [5, 6]. The morbidity and mortality effects on the host are highly
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