Comparison of infectivity of Eimeria tenella oocysts maintained at 4, 12 or 28°C for up to 10 months

Abstract

Coccidiosis is an economically important protozoan diseaseof poultry caused by members of the parasitic genusEimeria (Coccidia: Eimeriidae). Current methods forcoccidiosis control in the Australian poultry industry depend onincorporation of anticoccidial agents into feed or water. Themajor drawbacks of chemical control include the growingproblem of drug-resistance and the increasingly complexcontrol programs required. An alternative method of coccidiosiscontrol, which avoids the problems associated with drug resis-tance, is use of live attenuated vaccines either alone or inconjunction with an integrated chemical control program.