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Coccidiosis, an intestinal disease caused by Eimeriaprotozoan parasites, affects various animal species, and especially poses a significant threat to the poultry industry. The current primary control methods include anticoccidial drugs and vaccines. However, emerging challenges such as drug resistance and vaccine efficacy issues are rooted in the complex life cycle and species diversification of Eimeria. In this review, we first consolidate recent breakthroughs in understanding Eimeriabiology, focusing on the parasite development and its intricate interactions with the host, notably its relationships with host immune cells and the gut microbiota. Furthermore, we provide an extensive summary of current control strategies for Eimeriainfections. This includes an in-depth analysis of anticoccidial drugs, their mechanisms of resistance, and the increasing utilization of diverse anticoccidial vaccines to combat these challenges. Finally, we highlight the latest innovative strategies leading the way in coccidiosis control. Through an exploration of cutting-edge techniques, we also provide insights into future directions for effectively combating this disease. In conclusion, the future of coccidiosis control lies in the use of a multifaceted approach, integrating advanced biological insights with innovative therapeutic strategies. This review not only serves to enhance our understanding of Eimeriabiology but also provides a valuable resource for researchers involved in developing and implementing strategies to manage and control coccidiosis, ensuring the health and productivity of poultry worldwide.

Chicken coccidiosis can cause severe enteritis with high mortality, which causes serious economic losses to the global breeding industry each year. The most virulent species is Eimeria tenella (E. tenella), but the infectivity of different E. tenellavaries among geographic strains. At present, there are no reports related to the pathogenicity and drug resistance of E. tenellain Yiwu, Zhejiang province, China. A total of 600 fecal samples were collected from 10 farms in Zhejiang province, the overall oocyst prevalence was 54.2% (325/600). The prevalence was significantly higher (P< 0.01) in chickens under 40 d (97.5%) than that in chickens between 60 and 85-days-old (40.5%) and chickens over 90-days-old (24.5%). E. tenellastain was isolated from fecal samples of chickens in Yiwu and the pathogenicity of this isolate was determined, and then we recorded the survival rate, bloody stool score, lesion score, average weight gain. The results showed that all of the chickens infected with 5 × 105sporulated oocysts of E. tenelladied after the seventh day of infection, the bloody stool score and average lesion score of chickens from group 1 (5 × 105), group 2 (5 × 104), group 3 (5 × 103) and group 4 (5 × 102) decreased successively; the average weight gain (g) and relative weight gain (%) increased successively; the weight gain of the low-dose E. tenellainfection groups (5 × 103and 5 × 102) were higher than the other 2 groups (5 × 105and 5 × 104) (P< 0.05). Finally, The E. tenellaisolate was tested for sensitivity to 6 anticoccidial drugs (sulfachloropyrazine sodium, amproline, toltrazuril, clopidol, salinomycin, and nicarbazine) using 4 indexes including anticoccidial index(ACI), percent of optimum anticoccidial activity (POAA), reduction of lesion scores (RLS), and relative oocyst production (ROP). The results showed that this isolate has developed severe resistance to drugs of salinomycin and nicarbazine, moderate resistance to amproline and clopidol, slight resistance to toltrazuril, while the E. tenellaisolate performed more sensitive to sulfachloropyrazine sodium.