Studies on Poultry Coccidiosis In Tiyo Wereda, Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State
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Date
2004-06
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Addis Ababauniversity
Abstract
The objective of this study was first to investigate the prevalence of poultry coccidiosis and to
identify the coccidial species occurring in the study area on local strain and Rhode Island Red
breed chicken. The duration of the study was from September up to December, 2003 and the
sample size for local strain and RIR breed was 160 and 31 respectively. The study involved
questionnaire survey, fecal examination, necropsy examination and identification of coccidial
species based on their morphology, predilection site in the intestine and sporulation time.
Frequency detection of oocyst in the fecal samples from RIR breed and local strain chicken
was 80.65% and 61.25% respectively. This finding indicated that coccidial infection in RIR
breed was significantly higher than in local strain chicken (p < 0.05). The lesion score and
mean oocyst output per gram feces was also considerably higher in RIR breed than in local
strain chicken (p < 0.05, P < 0.001 respectively), which may be the difference due to
management system and breed. Clinical coccidiosis occurrence in RIR breed and local strain
chicken was 22.58% and 12.25% respectively. There was no statistically significant
difference in clinical coccidiosis occurrence between the two genotype chickens and system.
Eimeria species identified in descending order of their occurrence were E. tenella, E.
acervulina, E. necatrix, E. maxima and E. mitis. Mixed infections were the predominant in
both production systems. E. mitis was tentatively diagnosed for the first time in Ethiopia. The
second study was experimental study was conducted to compare the natural resistance of local
strain and RIR breed chicken to acute infection with E. tenella field isolate. The resistance
was assessed based on measuring and analysis of the parameters; oocyst production, body
weight gain/loss, lesion score, packed cell volume and morbidity rate. A total of 218 chicks
were assigned for the experiment out of which 141 local strains and 77 RIR breed were
randomly allocated into the experimental test and control groups. Sex difference within each
genotype was also taken in to account. The test groups were inoculated with 150,000
sporulated oocysts of E. tenella per bird suspended in 1ml distilled water and given per os
directly in to the crop. Body weight and packed cell volume measurements were taken for all
birds twice, on day 0 and 8 post infection. The birds were necropsied 8 days post infection for
lesion score. The morbidity rate in RIR breed was lower (p < 0.001) than the local strain
chickens and no mortality during the patent period. Moreover, body weight depression in RIR
breed was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the local strain chicken. However, lesion score
and oocyst production was significantly higher than the local strain chickens (p < 0.001, p <
XI
0.001). This indicated RIR breed demonstrated better resistance to overcome the effects of the
disease. Differences in natural resistance between males and females were not significant.
However, under experimental infection there were some variations to the effects of the
disease that females showed significantly higher body weight depression and larger oocyst
production than males in both genotype chickens.
Key Words: Coccidia, E. tenella, natural resistance, prevalence, infection, Rhode Island Red
breed, Local strain chicken and Tiyo Wereda
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Keywords
Coccidia, E tenella, natural resistance, prevalence, infection, Rhode Island Redbreed, Local strain chicken and Tiyo Wereda