Coccidiosis in poultry is caused by protozoan parasites of the Eimeria species, which is responsible for worldwide economic losses. The aim of this study was to evaluated the therapeutic effect of NeemAzal® on Eimeria tenellain broiler Chickens as compared to Amprolium as a standard anticoccidial drug. A total of One Hundred and Sixty (160) broiler chicks were purchased, acclimatized and randomly divided into 4 groups (G1, G2, G3 & G4). G1 non-infected, non-treated (negative control), (G2) infected with 20000 E. tenella oocysts (positive control), (G3) infected and treated with Amprolium (Standard, 7 mg/kg b.w. for 5 days) and (G4) infected and treated with NeemAzal®200 mg/kg b.w. for 5 days). Evaluation was by clinical signs, performance data (weight gain, oocyst shed/gram faeces (OPG) and histopathology of the Caecum, Liver and Kidney. The data showed that birds infected with E. tenellahad an output of 1.3×105±3,333 oocysts per gram faeces on day 5 post inoculation. This output is significantly decreased to 0.37×105±3,111 oocysts in neem-treated birds. Infection with E. tenellainduced marked histopathological alterations in the caecum in the form of inflammation, vacuolation of the epithelium, and destruction of some villi. NeemAzal® decrease body weight loss of infected chickens. Moreover, the number of goblet cells stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) within the infected villi was significantly lowered (P≤0.05). The results revealed that chicks of G1 had the best performance data compared to G2, G3& G4. In G3 & G4 there were a remarkable improvement in the data on performance, clinical signs, gross and microscopically caecal lesions compared to G2. Amprolium (G3) was shown to be superior to NeemAzal® (G4) compared to G2. NeemAzal® could be a good alternative for use as a coccidiostat to supplement the expensive anti-coccidiostats in the market.

Eimeria tenella is the most prevalent and pathogenic Coccidia causing morbidity, mortality and resulting in serious economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the immune response of broiler chickens to Eimeria tenella developmental stages Four hundred broilers divided into six groups (n=40) were used for the study. Each group was subdivided into two (n=20) as treated and non-treated and infected with different developmental stages (groups I-unsporulated oocysts, II-sporulated oocysts, III-schizonts, IV-merozoites and Vgametocytes respectively) of Eimeria tenella (local isolate), except group VI-control. The molecular identification of the local Eimeria tenella isolate identity was done through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Clinical signs, gross caecal lesions, humoral and cellular-mediated immune response were determined in the infected broiler chickens with Eimeria tenella developmental stages. The faeces were processed using simple floatation technique and observed at 10x and 40x objectives of the Neiss microscope. Oocysts isolated from the caeca of birds naturally infected in Jos, Nigeria with the local strain were used to obtain the different developmental stages either in vitro or in vivo using bovine monocytes (schizonts), embryonated chicken eggs (gamatocytes) or two weeks old broilers (merozoites). To study the immune response elicited during the primary and secondary infection, each developmental stage was used to infect a group of two, three and half weeks old broilers, twenty of which were treated with the recommended dose of amprolium (250 mg/l (0.025%)) for 5 days at the appearance of clinical signs. At the tertiary infection, all the experimental birds except the control group of forty birds were orally infected with 105 sporulated oocysts of known characterized virulent Eimeria tenella strain. The mean oocysts output or count was 37.07 × 10 6 in the infected birds non-treated than 25.65 × 10 6 in the treated groups, although there was a gradual reduction (groups

The present study reveals the proliferation of cytokines in treated and non- treated broilers consisting of IFN- γ, IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, TNF and TGF. The CD4 count in the treated and non- treated broilers orally administered with various developmental stages of the parasite reached a peak on day 10 at primary; secondary and day 24 at tertiary infections. There was significant difference in the CD4 cell count between groups of the infected broiler chickens (p < 0.05). The current study observed a relationship between the different developmental stages of the parasite and lymphocytes response. Broiler chickens infected with sporulated oocyst (sporozoites) and merozoites treated and non-treated gave high CD4 T- lymphocyte numbers than the other groups throughout the experimental periods.