Control of Coccidiosis in Turkeys with Diclazuril and Monensin: Effects upon Performance and Development of Immunity toEimeriaSpecies

Abstract

The effects of diclazuril and monensin, when included in the feed of turkeys from 0 to 10 wk, upon performance and development of immunity to Eimeria species was investigated. Birds were initially inoculated with a low dose of oocysts of three species of Eimeria at 3, 5, 7, and 9 days of age in order to simulate a natural infection. Weight gain and feed intake from 0 to 6 wk of age was significantly greater in medicated birds compared with those that received no anticoccidial medication. Weight gain and feed intake from 6 to 10 wk was greater in birds that received diclazuril than in unmedicated birds. No differences in performance were evident after drug withdrawal from 10 to 16 wk. Immunity to Eimeria species developed by 10 wk in birds that received no anticoccidial medication but did not develop in those given diclazuril or monensin.

Clinical Findings and Serum Cardiac Troponin I Concentrations in Horses after Intragastric Administration of Sodium Monensin

“…8,12,16,17 In the horse, however, it is highly toxic, and naturally occurring outbreaks of monensin toxicosis are well documented. 4,6,11,26 The proposed median lethal dose (LD 50 ) of monensin for horses is reported to be 2-3 mg/kg based on a single dose study in nonfasted horses.…”

Coccidiosis in the turkey

“…In floor-pen studies, no significant difference in weight gain or feed conversion was observed following withdrawal of diclazuril, halofuginone or monensin (Chapman et al, 1998(Chapman et al, , 2004Chapman & Saleh, 1999). The benefits of extended feeding of monensin were investigated by Wellenreiter et al (2000).…”

“…Coccidiosis may therefore not be diagnosed, but weight gain and feed conversion may be impaired. An indication of subclinical effects was obtained in a study in which poults were given low doses of oocysts, intended to simulate levels of infection that might be encountered in the field (Chapman et al, 2004). By 10 weeks, unmedicated infected birds gained less weight than birds given an effective anticoccidial drug.…”

“…Some interference was found, however, with halofuginone at the maximum approved use concentration of 3 parts/10 6 (Mathis, 1993). The development of immunity in poults medicated with diclazuril or monensin was investigated by infecting them with low numbers of oocysts when 3, 5, 7, and 9 days of age, a procedure thought to simulate levels of infection that might occur in the field (Chapman et al, 2004). By 10 weeks, immunity had developed in unmedicated birds but not in those given diclazuril or monensin.…”

The efficacy of diclazuril (liquid formulation) in the prevention and control of coccidiosis in broiler chicken.

“…In this respect, diclazuril is one of a series of benzenacetonitrile derivatives. The prophylactic anticoccidial efficacy of diclazuril in feed was extensively studied in chickens (Chapman, 1989;Vanparijs et al, 1989b,e,f;McDougald et al, 1990a,b;Vieira and Clemente, 1995;Chapman, 1998;Conway et al, 2001a,b and2002a,b ;Kiaei et al, 2001;Awaad et al, 2003 ;Meireles et al, 2003), turkeys (Vanparijs et al, 1989c;McDougald et al, 1991 ;Chapman et al, 2004), pigeons (Vercruysse, 1990), pheasants (Vanparijs et al, 1990), partridges (Vanparijs et al, 1991) and rabbits (Vanparijs et al, 1989a,d) and the drug proved it's efficacy in the prevention of coccidial infection without development of drug resistance.…”