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. 2014 Oct 25;4(3):214-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2014.10.002. eCollection 2014 Dec.

Vaccination of chickens against coccidiosis ameliorates drug resistance in commercial poultry production

H David Chapman  1 , Thomas K Jeffers  2
Affiliations

Vaccination of chickens against coccidiosis ameliorates drug resistance in commercial poultry production

H David Chapman et al. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist. .

Abstract

Drug resistance is a problem wherever livestock are raised under intensive conditions and drugs are used to combat parasitic infections. This is particularly true for the anticoccidial agents used for the prevention of coccidiosis caused by protozoa of the apicomplexan genus Eimeria in poultry. Resistance has been documented for all the dozen or so drugs approved for use in chickens and varying levels of resistance is present for those currently employed. A possible solution may be the introduction of drug-sensitive parasites into the houses where poultry are raised so that they may replace such drug-resistant organisms. This can be achieved by utilizing live vaccines that contain strains of Eimeria that were isolated before most anticoccidial compounds were introduced. Such strains are inherently drug-sensitive. Practical proposals to achieve this objective involve the alternation of vaccination with medication (known as rotation programs) in successive flocks reared in the same poultry house. A proposal for a yearly broiler production cycle involving chemotherapy and vaccination is presented. There are few, if any, examples in veterinary parasitology where it has proved possible to restore sensitivity to drugs used to control a widespread parasite. Further research is necessary to ascertain whether this can result in sustainable and long-term control of Eimeria infections in poultry.

Keywords: Anticoccidial drug; Coccidiosis; Eimeria; Live vaccine; Poultry; Rotation program.

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Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Proposal for a yearly chicken production cycle involving six successive flocks of broilers. Chemotherapy comprises an anticoccidial program involving synthetic drugs, ionophores, or a potentiated ionophore (see text). Litter is removed (clean-out) after the second flock. The Figure is based upon an illustration by Chapman, H.D. in Poultry Health Today.com, 2014.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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