Coccidiosis in Poultry: Current Thinking on Eimeria spp., Host–Parasite Relationships, and Potential for Advancements in Control
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Poultry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 September 2024) | Viewed by 22561
Special Issue Editor
Interests: Eimeria infections in poultry; effects of Eimeria on host nutrition; control of coccidiosis; intestinal health of broiler chickens
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Infection with Eimerian parasites remains one of the most significant production issues faced by the global poultry industry. In addition to the direct costs associated with increased mortality, insufficient weigh gains and poorly utilized feed, coccidial infection serves as a predisposing factor for important bacterial infections, allowing them to further compromise the well-being of commercial flocks. It is not surprising that the global costs of coccidial infections approach USD 15 billion annually.
Although chemotherapy and, to a lesser extent, live vaccination are the primary means of managing coccidial infections, research into new drug entities has decreased in the last 25 years. While interest in a non-living vaccine remains very high, progress toward this objective has been difficult. Thus, new technologies that offer effective parasite control are wanting. For those that deal with the daily realities of Eimeria infections, reliance on established, older anticoccidials and live vaccines, both alone and in combination, has become accepted practice. When these facts are coupled with the identification and global recognition of three new Eimeria species, the significance of coccidial infections seems to be increasing as time goes on.
At the risk of being excessively broad, the objective of this Special Issue is to review the status of Eimeria infections in poultry. The topics of interest are, but are not limited to, the significance of new Eimeria species, advances in understanding host–Eimeria relationships and their effects on the chicken, and the current thinking on novel approaches for the control of these infections. It is intended to serve as a reference for current specialists and as a guide to future research.
Dr. Kenneth Bafundo
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- Eimeria of poultry
- avian coccidiosis
- host-Eimeria relationships
- novel methods of coccidiosis control
- intestinal health in chickens
- commercial broiler production
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