Coccidiosis
Discription of the disease
Coccidiosis is causing problems in the small intestine and caecum. Cossidiosis is caused by a parasite, named Eimeria. The parasite Eimeria is generally present and survives in a form which is resistant to environmental influences. This form is called Oocyst. Oocysten can still be infectious after weeks in manure, or months in earth.
Coccidiosis is the collective term for five main Eimeria species which are causing problems in poultry. Those species are Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria tentella, Eimeria brunette and Eimeria necatrix. Besides the five disease recognized species there are two non-disease recognized species, which are Eimeria praecox and Eimeria mitis. (1)
The five disease causing species are described below.
Coccidiosis is the collective term for five main Eimeria species which are causing problems in poultry. Those species are Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria tentella, Eimeria brunette and Eimeria necatrix. Besides the five disease recognized species there are two non-disease recognized species, which are Eimeria praecox and Eimeria mitis. (1)
The five disease causing species are described below.
Species
Eimeria acervulina
This is probably the most common cause of Coccisiosis in chickens worldwide. Eimeria acervulina it is found in almost all flocks, from the age of 2-3 weeks. It is found in laying hens and in broilers, both alone and in combination with other species of Coccidiosis. Eimeria acervulina causes relatively mild intestinal disorders. The animals incur a slight growth retardation and often there is no mention of diseased flocks.
Symptoms of Eimeria acervulina that could be seen for several days are;
Eimeria acervulina is an infection of the first part of the small intestines, the duodenum.
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria acervulina are:
Symptoms of Eimeria acervulina that could be seen for several days are;
- Depression
- Ruffled feathers
- Closed eyes
- Inappetance
- Poor production
- Diarrhoea
- Depigmentation
- Sphere sitting chickens
Eimeria acervulina is an infection of the first part of the small intestines, the duodenum.
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria acervulina are:
- Thickening or other lesions
- Petechial haemorrhages
- White spots or bands in the mucosa. In severe infections it will become confluent and will cause sloughing of the mucosa
- Poor absorption of nutrients. (1,2)
Eimeria maxima
Eimeria maxima
is founded in flocks from the age of approximately 3-4 weeks. In broilers, a
little bit less than half of the flocks will go through the infection.
Generally Eimeria maxima is a mild
infection which causes growth retardation by a decreased digestion. In severe
cases the parasite causes bleedings in the small intestines. Broilers will lose
a lot of weight, will become pale, set their feathers and sometimes die. Eimeria maxima is also of importance in relation
with an increased risk of the development of Necrotic Enteritis.
Eimeria maxima is an infection of the Jejunum, which is the middle part of the small intestines. Frequently Eimeria maxima ascends into the duodenum. In severe cases the parasite may extent to the Ileum till the junction of the caecum.
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria maxima are;
Eimeria maxima is an infection of the Jejunum, which is the middle part of the small intestines. Frequently Eimeria maxima ascends into the duodenum. In severe cases the parasite may extent to the Ileum till the junction of the caecum.
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria maxima are;
- Some petechial haemorrhages to quite a lot of blood in the small intestines
- Orange mucous in the small intestines, which demonstrates the involvement of the mucous membrane. (1,3)
Eimeria tenella
Eimeria tenella occurs in almost all poultry species and is founded in a third of the broiler flocks from the age of four weeks. Eimeria tenella develops in the caecum and can colonise the Ileum and rectum in severe infections. The parasite causes bloody inflammations of the caecum. The result of Eimeria tenella is comparable with the result of an severe Eimeria maxima infection, apathetic and pale broilers which will die fast. Mortality can also increase at a mild infection. The morbidity rate is 10-40% and the mortality rate up to 50%.
The parasitic cycle takes six to seven days, taking place in the epithelial cells of the caecal glands or intestinal glands (crypts of Lieberkühn). This explains the severity of the tissue lesions and the high degree of pathogenicity of the species. This is reflected in significant mortality due to petechial haemorrhages which occur five to six days. Up to three days no lesions are observed, except from some petechial haemorrhages.
Symptoms of Eimeria tenella that could be seen are:
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria tenella are:
Accumlation of varying quantities of blood and caseous necrotic material in the caecum. (1,4,5)
The parasitic cycle takes six to seven days, taking place in the epithelial cells of the caecal glands or intestinal glands (crypts of Lieberkühn). This explains the severity of the tissue lesions and the high degree of pathogenicity of the species. This is reflected in significant mortality due to petechial haemorrhages which occur five to six days. Up to three days no lesions are observed, except from some petechial haemorrhages.
Symptoms of Eimeria tenella that could be seen are:
- Depression
- Ruffled feathers
- Closed eyes
- Inappetance
- Diarrhoea and blood in faeces
- The production is less affected than in some of the other forms of Coccidiosis
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria tenella are:
- Petechial haemorrhages
- Thickening, ecchymoses, of caecum mucosa
Accumlation of varying quantities of blood and caseous necrotic material in the caecum. (1,4,5)
Eimeria brunetti
Does not occur often in broilers, but occurs in rearing chicks from the age of six weeks or in laying hens. Eimeria brunette Is the most difficult parasite of the Eimeria species to establish. ‘The early stages in severe infections manifest themselves with red punctiform lesions in the middle and lower part of the small intestine. Inflammation may be considerable in the affected areas: rectum, caecum and cloaca.’(Bayer HealthCare)6 The symptoms are usually mild and are accompanied by diarrhea.
Symptoms of Eimeria brunetti that could be seen are:
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria brunette are:
Symptoms of Eimeria brunetti that could be seen are:
- Depression
- Ruffled feathers
- Closed eyes
- Inappetance
- Poor production
- Diarrhoea and blood in faeces
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria brunette are:
- Grey intestinal wall
- Inferior part of the intestines (Ileum) may be thickened, in later stages the entire intestine wall may be thickened.
- Small particles of salmon-coloured material detach from the intestine
- Mucous membrane is red
- The intestinal content is full of punctiform blood clots and mucous in beginning stages.
- In later stages the intestinal content contains many blood clots and digested red blood cells.
- Severe necrotising enteritis
- Oocysts in caecum and rectum (1,6,7)
Eimeria necatrix
Is especially seen during the
rearing period around the age of 9-14 weeks or in production flocks after
arriving the laying hen farm. The chickens will lose a lot of weight, will
become pale and have constipation,
bleeding and necrotic enteritis of the intestines and bloody faeces. Eventually
the chicken will die. The mortality rate can be up to 25%.
The sporozoites invade the lamina propria, which is the mucous membrane in the intestines, before reaching the epithelial cells of the intestinal glands (crypts of Lieberkühn) where they develop. The tissue lesions appear between four and seven days.
The intestine may be distended to twice its normal diameter in heavy infections.
Symptoms of Eimeria necatrix that could be seen are:
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria necatrix are:
The sporozoites invade the lamina propria, which is the mucous membrane in the intestines, before reaching the epithelial cells of the intestinal glands (crypts of Lieberkühn) where they develop. The tissue lesions appear between four and seven days.
The intestine may be distended to twice its normal diameter in heavy infections.
Symptoms of Eimeria necatrix that could be seen are:
- Reduce of feed consumption
- Depression
- Ruffled feathers
- Closed eyes
- Inappetance
- Poor production
- Diarrhoea and blood in faeces
Post-mortem symptoms of Eimeria necatrix are:
- Petechial haemorrhages and thickening, of the Jejunum and Ileum
- ‘Sausage-like’ intestines
- Severe necrotising enteritis (1,8,9)
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15. C. Horton-Smith, E. Boyland. (1946). Sulphonamides in the treatment of caecal coccidiosis of chickens. Britisch Journal of Pharmacology. - (-), p. 139-152.
16. -. (2014). Overview of Coccidiosis in Poultry. Available: http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/coccidiosis/overview_of_coccidiosis_in_poultry.html#v3340210. Last accessed 3 May 2014.
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