Various species of Eimeria have different prepatent times and predilection sites, but their life cycles in infected poultry are similar. Practically speaking, chickens can be continuously exposed to various Eimeria species through environmental contamination. Furthermore, storage condition of the oocysts influences subsequent challenge infectivity, since coccidian oocysts contain a polysaccharide energy source known as amylopectin that is required for sporulation of oocysts and survival of the sporozoites. Here analysis of the oocyst-shedding patterns of 3 Eimeria species ( Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, and Eimeria tenella) and the effects of different oocyst storage time (64, 143, 225, and 332 days) on subsequent propagation patterns were evaluated. Based on the analysis of oocyst-shedding patterns and infectious lesions evaluated by oocyst counts and histopathology, respectively, the peak points of oocyst production and infectious lesion generation in animals infected with E. acervulina were observed to occur earlier in comparison to E. maxima- and E. tenella-infected animals. Prolonged storage of E. tenella oocysts decreased oocyst excretion (measured as oocysts per gram of feces [OPG]) and lengthened the peak period. Chickens infected with the freshest oocysts (Group A) had the highest fecal oocyst output, and animals in this group reached their peak at 7 days post-infection (dpi), which is similar to the normal pattern of oocyst output in fresh isolates. Infection with oocysts stored for longer periods showed a 1-day delay in the fecal oocyst peak count (8 dpi), and these infections also resulted in fewer OPG compared to Group A. Therefore, these results indicate that the storage period is important in affecting the peak point and pattern of oocyst shedding.
Twelve Korean native goats, spontaneously infected with mixed species of Eimeria were used to study the possible direct anticoccidial effect of feeding condensed tannin-containing plants on the production of Eimeria oocysts. The effects of feeding pine (Pinus densifora) needles, oak (Quercus acutissima) leaves and lucerne chaff on coccidia oocyst output were studied for a period of 10 days post-feeding. The results indicate that feeding fresh pine needles (40 g condensed tannins (CT) dry matter (DM)/day/goat) and oak leaves (40 g CT DM/day/goat) in combination with lucerne chaff had rapid anticoccidial activities in goats as demonstrated by a sharp decrease in oocyst production. Two days after feeding, the numbers of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) from the goats fed pine needles with lucerne chaff, and from goats fed oak leaves reduced by 40% and 44% compared to pre-feeding, respectively. On the sixth day after commencing feeding pine needles and oak leaves, the reduction was 81% and 72%, respectively. Ten days after feeding pine needles and oak leaves, the OPG was reduced by 93% and 85%, respectively compared to pre-feeding. Statistical analysis showed that feeding pine needles and oak leaves to goats naturally infected with coccidia significantly (p<0.001) reduced the numbers of oocysts compared to the control group fed lucerne chaff only. Four clinically important species of coccidia, Eimeria parva, Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae, Eimeria christenseni and Eimeria arloingi were identified in Korean native goats.
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