Search

ABSTRACT: The black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) is an endangered species facing challenges in breeding and reintroduction programs, including parasitic infestations. This study aimed to assess natural infestations by various Eimeria species and infestation dynamics in female, male, and young black grouse kept in a stationary aviary. Faecal samples were collected from adult grouses between April and the time of chicks’ hatching and rearing (September). Faecal samples from young birds were collected from the hatching for a period of 1 year. The prevalence of Eimeria spp. was determined by a qualitative method (Fulleborn's flotation) and a quantitative method (McMaster's method with Raynaud's modification). The following Eimeria species were identified: E. lyruri, E. nadsoni and E. nonbrumpti. The average percentages of Eimeria spp. in the cock were 80.52%, 9.27%, and 10.21%, respectively; in the hen, they were 86.19%, 9.28%, and 4.53%, respectively; in the young black grouses they were 84.60%, 9.34% and 6.06%, respectively. The highest E. lyruri infestation was observed in the cock in June (144227 OPG) and July (129365 OPG). In the hen, the infestation intensity increased in May (304302 OPG) and then decreased in June (39583 OPG). Furthermore, an additional increase was observed in July (216533 OPG). Two increases in infestation intensity were also observed in young birds, with peaks in January (91387 OPG) and July (126178 OPG). A positive strong correlation was identified between Eimeria spp. in the cock and the young birds. A statistically significant positive correlation was identified in the hen between E. lyruri and E. nadsoni. No correlation was demonstrated between the infestation intensity and the age of the birds or season of the year in all the grouses under study. Despite some attempts, a comprehensive approach to the issue of coccidiosis in the black grouse as a disease that may affect the success of reintroduction has yet to be established. It seems crucial to monitor the level of Eimeria spp. invasion, and the proposed faecal sampling scheme is an important tool for achieving this goal.

SUMMARY: Avian coccidiosis is an intestinal infection caused by a parasitic intracellular protozoan of Eimeria species. The effect of coccidian intestinal infection in birds renders significant economic losses in production, and therefore, it is crucial for industry players and researchers to find solutions to its occurrence. The use of synthetic additives and anticoccidial supplements has been established to be effective in preventing and controlling coccidiosis. However, concerns about anticoccidial drug resistance in Eimeria species due to frequent use have been reported. Alternatively, the use of attenuated live vaccines has been successful but it comes with challenges because of poor farm management. Garlic and its bioactive compounds have been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The anticoccidial potential of garlic is linked to its immunostimulatory activity. Garlic and its derivatives inhibit the sporulation of oocysts in vitro. Supplementation of garlic in coccidiosis-infected broilers improves weight gain and feed efficiency, and reduces fecal oocysts output, lesion score, and clinical signs postinfection. Thus, this review aims to highlight the clinical signs of coccidiosis, the techniques involved in oocysts determination, and the anticoccidial potential of garlic in improving the health of broiler chickens. Future studies can bridge the knowledge gap on the mode of action of the bioactive compounds of garlic against coccidiosis and the Eimeria species-specific gene and immune-protective antigens that they inhibit and improve in infected birds.

The black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) is an endangered species facing challenges in breeding and reintroduction programs, including parasitic infestations. This study aimed to assess natural infestations by various Eimeria species and infestation dynamics in female, male, and young black grouse kept in a stationary aviary. Faecal samples were collected from adult grouses between April and the time of chicks' hatching and rearing (September). Faecal samples from young birds were collected from the hatching for a period of 1 year. The prevalence of Eimeria spp. was determined by a qualitative method (Fulleborn's flotation) and a quantitative method (McMaster's method with Raynaud's modification). The following Eimeria species were identified: E. lyruri, E. nadsoni and E. nonbrumpti. The average percentages of Eimeria spp. in the cock were 80.52%, 9.27%, and 10.21%, respectively; in the hen, they were 86.19%, 9.28%, and 4.53%, respectively; in the young black grouses they were 84.60%, 9.34% and 6.06%, respectively. The highest E. lyruri infestation was observed in the cock in June (144227 OPG) and July (129365 OPG). In the hen, the infestation intensity increased in May (304302 OPG) and then decreased in June (39583 OPG). Furthermore, an additional increase was observed in July (216533 OPG). Two increases in infestation intensity were also observed in young birds, with peaks in January (91387 OPG) and July (126178 OPG). A positive strong correlation was identified between Eimeria spp. in the cock and the young birds. A statistically significant positive correlation was identified in the hen between E. lyruri and E. nadsoni. No correlation was demonstrated between the infestation intensity and the age of the birds or season of the year in all the grouses under study. Despite some attempts, a comprehensive approach to the issue of coccidiosis in the black grouse as a disease that may affect the success of reintroduction has yet to be established. It seems crucial to monitor the level of Eimeria spp. invasion, and the proposed faecal sampling scheme is an important tool for achieving this goal., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare that they have no known competing finanscial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The current in vitro study aimed to investigate the effects of a processed sugarcane extract on the viability of avian Eimeria sporozoites. Treatments were applied to hatched sporozoites: 1) without additives (no-treatment control); 2) with ethanol; 3) with salinomycin; 4) with Polygain™. All treatments were incubated in RPMI media containing live sporozoites at 37 °C for 14 h and then the number of viable sporozoites were counted. Compared to the no-treatment control, Polygain™ decreased (P 0.05). In conclusion, Polygain™ could be a potential candidate as an anticoccidial agent.

Coccidiosis is an intestinal infection caused by Eimeria spp. that results in economic losses owing to morbidity and mortality in young buffalo calves. This study aimed for molecular diagnosis and phylogenetic analysis of Eimeria spp. in buffaloes of Meghalaya's sub-tropical mountainous terrain. Fresh buffaloes' fecal samples were collected from buffalo farms of Umling, Umsning and Bhoirymbong blocks, Ri Bhoi, Meghalaya and screened for Eimeria oocysts using flotation and modified McMaster methods. Fecal sample examination revealed 27.44 % (87/317) infection in buffaloes. Age wise, 64.44 % (29/45), 25.35 % (36/142) and 16.92 % (22/130) infections were recorded in <6 months, 6 months to 1 year and 1-2 year old buffaloes, respectively. Morphological characterization of Eimeria spp. revealed E. bovis (21.83 %), E. bareillyi (18.39 %), E. zuernii (11.49 %), E. ellipsoidalis (3.44 %) and mixed infection (44.82 %). Amplification of ITS-1 gene confirmed Eimeria spp. (410 bp), E. bovis (238 bp) and E. zuernii (344 bp). Phylogenetic analysis of E. bovis Umiam isolate revealed that these were closely related to the E. bovis isolate from South Korea (MH245198.1), and Turkey (KU351711.1) and distantly related to the isolates from Jammu and Kashmir (OQ103422.1) and Uttar Pradesh, Mathura (OK486542.1). E. zuernii isolate from Umiam, Meghalaya was observed to be phylogenetically close to the isolates from South Korea (MH245202.1), Japan (LC171339.1) and Turkey (KU351715.1), whereas phylogenetic divergence was observed between, E. zuernii isolate from Umiam, Meghalaya with isolates of Andhra Pradesh, Tirupati (MN601278.1) and Jammu and Kashmir (OQ103424.1). Therefore, treatment and effective control strategies should be implemented immediately to prevent spread of infection in the buffaloes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Meena Das reports financial support was provided by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The current in vitro study aimed to investigate the effects of a processed sugarcane extract on the viability of avian Eimeria sporozoites. Treatments were applied to hatched sporozoites: 1) without additives (no-treatment control); 2) with ethanol; 3) with salinomycin; 4) with Polygain™. All treatments were incubated in RPMI media containing live sporozoites at 37 °C for 14 h and then the number of viable sporozoites were counted. Compared to the no-treatment control, Polygain™ decreased (P < 0.001) the counts of E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. bruneti, and E. mitis sporozoites to a level similar to salinomycin (P > 0.05). In conclusion, Polygain™ could be a potential candidate as an anticoccidial agent., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

DNA-based diagnostic assays for detecting infections with Eimeria species have been limited to providing identification and presence/absence data for samples containing oocysts. Modern technologies that generate quantitative data, such as droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), utilize a relatively short amplicon size containing sufficient species-specific variation for reliable species level identification. Targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit III gene in the mitochondrial genome, we established protocols using these technologies to determine the relative abundance of the number of copies/μL of Eimeria species in a sample. Samples from chickens of known and unknown Eimeria species composition were analyzed to determine the suitability of these technologies as diagnostic assays. All technologies demonstrated robust capability of identifying and quantifying the Eimeria species in samples. The new quantitative assays described herein will produce invaluable detail of Eimeria species infections for an array of situations in commercial chicken production systems, enabling further characterization of the disease profile and allowing for the development or enhancement of new intervention strategies., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Eimeria bovis, Eimeria zuernii, Eimeria ellipsoidalis, Eimeria auburnensis, Eimeria canadensis and Eimeria alabamensis were identified on different dairy farms in Uruguay. The most prevalent species were E. bovis and E. zuernii, which were mainly found in the feces of calves with diarrhea. The dynamics of oocyst excretion were evaluated via the weekly determination of oocysts per gram (OPG) values in fecal samples from 97 calves over seven months. Three groups of calves were formed according to their age in days: Group 1 (1-20 days old), Group 2 (21-40 days old) and Group 3 (41-65 days old). In Group 1, the median OPG was zero, and the maximum OPG was 1,680. In Group 2, the median OPG was between zero and 8,240, and the maximum OPG was 428,800. In Group 3, the median OPG was between zero and 220, and the maximum OPG was 16,000. For the evaluation of the relationship between OPG and age group, a proportional odds model was built. Two samples from 60 bovines evaluated in Group 2 and in Group 3 were selected. OPG was categorized as negative, moderate (lower than or equal to 4,000) or high (greater than 4,000). Calves of Group 2 (21-40 days old) were significantly (p < 0.001) more affected by eimeriosis than calves of Group 3 (41-65 days old). Considering that diarrhea in calves is a multifactorial disease, eimeriosis should be considered when evaluating the control measures for diarrhea syndrome, particularly in calves of 21-40 days of age., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is important to the economy of several countries in Asia, and South America and there are also isolated herds in Europe. In India, buffalo is the main dairy animal. Coccidiosis due to Eimeria is an important cause of diarrhea in livestock worldwide. Eimeria species are generally considered host specific. More than 11 Eimeria species are considered common in buffaloes and cattle (Bos taurus, Bos indicus). Of the numerous species of Eimeria in cattle, Eimeria bovis, Eimeria zuernii, Eimeria auburnensis and Eimeria alabamensis are considered pathogenic in cattle, but there is no report of their pathogenicity in naturally infected water buffaloes. Instead, Eimeria bareillyi has been documented to be the main pathogenic species in buffalo; it is not transmissible to cattle. There are many reports of Eimeria infections in water buffaloes, scattered in many local journals, and there are conflicting life cycle data on Eimeria species in buffalo. The objective of this paper is to summarize information on history, validity of Eimeria species, life cycle, pathogenicity, prevalence, epidemiology, diagnosis and control of coccidiosis in buffalo., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)