Using plant extracts as alternatives in fighting coccidiosis(使用植物提取物作为抗球虫的替代品).pdfVIP

Using plant extracts as alternatives in fighting coccidiosis Date: 2010-07-21 By Dr Virginie Noirot Plant-based alternatives may be one way forward for poultry producers to control this costly parasitic disease. Essential oils contain known active ingredients that can have a direct antiparasitic effect. Coccidiosis is recognized as the costliest parasitic disease for the poultry industry worldwide, with estimated total annual costs reaching $800 million, when the costs of prophylaxis, medications and losses of productivity due to mortality, morbidity, and lowered feed conversion are taken into account. Estimates of the global cost of its prevention in chicken alone stand at $300 million a year. Among the multiple species of this intracellular parasite, the two most common types affecting poultry production worldwide are Eimeria acervulina, which causes upper intestinal coccidiosis, and Eimeria tenella (caecal coccidiosis), which has a morbidity rate of 10-40% and mortality of up to 50%. Because coccidia damage the intestinal epithelium, feed digestion is impaired, resulting in losses in performance through reduced weight gain, feed efficiency and temporary reduction of egg production in layers. A need for alternative solutions? An outbreak of coccidiosis in a flock will depend on several factors which can be controlled to varying degrees. It is usually the result of a breakdown in the balance between three elements: the parasite, the host (chickens selected for their zootechnical performances are particularly sensitive to coccidia), and the environment (intensively-reared birds are more vulnerable to coccidiosis). A coccidia control program should take into account all these elements, starting with hygiene and housing management practices. Much work has also been carried out on the rol