Chicken bird coccidiosis
The coccidiosis of chicken birds is a common parasitic disease of the chicken birds . It is caused by certain single cells ( protozoa ), the so-called coccidia , which belong to the genus Eimeria . The coccidiosis of the chicken are primarily intestinal coccidiosis .
Pathogen
| Eimeria | ||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Eimeria | ||||||||||
The infection occurs by ingestion of sporulated oocysts on kotverschmutztes feed. Coccidial oocysts are extremely stable to the environment and can remain infectious for a year. Sporulation takes place in the presence of moisture, warmth and oxygen and therefore takes place primarily in the litter. The risk of infection is greatest in overcrowded runs. Adult animals only become ill with strongly pathogenic pathogens or high infectious doses and a poor general condition. As permanent excretors, they represent the reservoir for the coccidia.
| Chicken bird | occurring Eimeria species |
|---|---|
| Domestic chicken |
strongly pathogenic : E. tenella , E. necatrix moderately pathogenic: E. acervulina , E. brunetti , E. hagani , E. maxima , E. mivati , E. mitis , E. praecox |
| Domestic turkey | E. adenoeides , E. dispersa , E. gallopavonis , E. innocus , E. meleagridis , E. meleagrimitis , E. subrotunda |
| Guinea fowl | E. grenieri |
| pheasant | E. colchici |
Appendicum coccidiosis ("Rote Kükenruhr")
The causative agent of the red chick dysentery is Eimeria tenella . As an acute disease, it occurs primarily in chicks of the domestic fowl between 6 and 8 weeks of age ("red chick dysentery"), the old animals are mostly only carriers of the pathogen without becoming clinically ill themselves. Other chickens practically never get this form of coccidiosis. Eimeria tenella affects the epithelium of the appendix and causes hemorrhagic inflammation of the appendix ( typhlitis ).
Small intestinal coccidiosis
Coccidiosis of the small intestine occurs in all chickens and also mainly affects chicks and weakened animals. They cause inflammation of the small intestine ( enteritis ), e.g. Sometimes with punctiform bleeding and partial tissue breakdown , rarely hemorrhagic inflammation can also occur.
Small intestinal coccidiosis are caused by different types of coccidia, which often occur as a mixed infection. According to the degree of pathogenicity (disease-causing potency), a distinction is made between strongly pathogenic agents such as Eimeria tenella and Eimeria necatrix and moderately pathogenic.
Rectal coccidiosis
Some coccidia species preferentially affect the rectum and cloaca, such as E. brunetti and E. gallopavonis.
Clinical picture
Appendix coccidiosis
Red chick dysentery is associated with bloody diarrhea and can have a mortality rate of 80% in chicks .
Small and rectal coccidiosis
The intestinal coccidiosis cause watery, slimy, rarely bloody diarrhea, which can be fatal due to the loss of fluid. In older animals or slightly pathogenic Eimeria species, the infection is less pronounced and can manifest itself as loss of appetite , emaciation, fatigue and weakness. In chickens the mortality is up to 30%, similar loss rates can occur in poor husbandry conditions in quails , pheasants and peacocks , in turkeys the mortality rate is usually lower.
diagnosis
The diagnosis is made by microscopic evidence of coccidia in the feces.
therapy
The treatment is carried out with drugs that act as coccidia, such as sulfonamides such as sulfachloropyrazine or sulfadimidine . In addition, Toltrazuril and clazuril effective. Amprolium is very effective in the red chick dysentery . The administration of multivitamin preparations is recommended as a support.
prophylaxis
Hygiene and disinfection measures can be used preventively. Already boiling water is sufficient to inactivate the oocysts. Too high a stocking density should be avoided, alternating outlets are recommended. In the event of an outbreak, the soil or litter should be removed. Effective disinfectants are z. B. Cresols . Chickens can be treated prophylactically with a coccidiostat . Vaccination of one-week chicks in the drinking water ( Paracox 8 ® ) is also effective.
literature
Kummerfeld, N .: Chicken birds . In Gabrisch / Zwart (ed.): Diseases of the domestic animals. Schlütersche, 6th edition 2005, pp. 613–651.
