Vaccination against coccidiosis?

It is well-known that coccidiosis is a common and important disease of commercial poultry production all around the world.

The protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria multiply in the intestinal tract and cause tissue damage which results in mortality, interruption of digestive processes or nutrient absorption, reduced weight gain, and increased susceptibility to other diseases including necrotic enteritis.

It has been shown that elimination of this parasitic disease by common management practices is very difficult if not impossible. Anti-coccidial drugs have been used for many years in poultry feed in order to deal with this disease. Development of resistance to drugs and recent moves towards restricting use of drugs in feed has put pressure on the industry to look for alternatives.

Vaccination is an option available to the poultry industry. Here are a few questions that we can discuss in this blog:

• Can we only rely on vaccines to fight coccidiosis?
• How about using a combination of vaccines and drugs? Is this an effective preventive strategy?
• What are your practical experiences of using vaccines in your poultry flocks?
• Based on your experiences and available scientific information, what do you prefer to use to prevent this disease?

Related link:
McDougald, L. R. 2003. Coccidiosis. In Diseases of poultry. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IW.