Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Sep;101(9):101995.
doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.101995. Epub 2022 Jun 5.

PCR identification and prevalence of Eimeria species in commercial turkey flocks of the Midwestern United States

Audrey F Duff  1 , W N Briggs  1 , J C Bielke  1 , K E McGovern  1 , M Trombetta  1 , H Abdullah  1 , L R Bielke  1 , K M Chasser  2
Affiliations

PCR identification and prevalence of Eimeria species in commercial turkey flocks of the Midwestern United States

Audrey F Duff et al. Poult Sci. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

The present study used a PCR approach to characterize prevalence of coccidial species in fecal samples obtained from 40 individual Midwestern turkey flocks to characterize distribution of species in commercial flocks. Each sample was screened for 6 prominent Eimeria species using species-specific primers and was supplemented with a primary nested-PCR approach for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit gene I where initial sample DNA concentrations were low. All samples were positive for at least one species of Eimeria, while most presented 2 (20/40) or 3 (14/40) species in total. Prevalence across farms was primarily dominated by E. meleagrimitis (97.50%), E. adenoeides (95%), and E. gallopavonis (40%). Of the samples positive for E. adenoeides and E. meleagrimitis, almost half (17/40) contained additional species. Data presented here offer insight into Eimeria species currently challenging the Midwestern US turkey industry and potential need to evaluate flocks for species prior to implementing vaccination programs.

Keywords: Eimeria adenoeides; Eimeria gallopavonis; Eimeria meleagrimitis; PCR; coccidiosis; turkey.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Allen P.C., Fetterer R.H. Recent advances in biology and immunobiology of Eimeria species and in diagnosis and control of infection with these coccidian parasites of poultry. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 2002;15:58–65. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bafundo K.W., Cervantes H.M., Mathis G.F. Sensitivity of Eimeria field isolates in the United States: responses of nicarbazin-containing anticoccidials. Poult. Sci. 2008;87:1760–1767. - PubMed
    1. Cervantes H.M. Antibiotic-free poultry production: Is it sustainable? J. Appl. Poult. Res. 2015;24:91–97.
    1. Chapman H.D. Biochemical, genetic and applied aspects of drug resistance in Eimeria parasites of the fowl. Avian. Pathol. 1997;26:221–244. - PubMed
    1. Chapman H.D. Use of anticoccidial drugs in broiler chickens in the USA: analysis for the years 1995 to 1999. Poult. Sci. 2001;80:572–580. - PubMed