Alternatives to control coccidiosis

In this podcast, aviNews International talked with Dr. Edgar Oviedo about his article, “Alternatives to control coccidiosis,” published in the March 2022 edition of the magazine. Dr. Oviedo is the technical director of aviNews International, a professor at the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University, and a poultry consultant in more than 40 countries. Coccidiosis is the most prevalent and costly parasite disease for the poultry industry worldwide. It could trigger most gut health issues of concern for poultry producers. Therefore, natural alternatives to control this parasite are important. A modeling exercise conducted by a group of experts led by Dr. Damer Blake from the British Royal Veterinary College and published last year estimated the global costs of coccidiosis in more than USD 14.05 billion at prices of 2016.Eimeria may cause disturbances in the gut epithelium and mucosa that: Aggravate intestinal dysbacteriosis, impair nutrient absorption, influence wet litter, cause enteritis, and initiate necrotic enteritis. The coccidia control methods include biosecurity, chemical and ionophore coccidiostats, live non-attenuated anticoccidial vaccines,and phytobiotic products that are becoming more popular. Phytobiotics are one of the products of election in organic production systems due to their connotation as natural products. However, many of them may not meet this condition since the active compound is already produced by industrial chemical processes. The following questions were discussed during the podcast: What is coccidiosis, and what are the effects on the intestine? What are the traditional methods to control coccidiosis? What is the reason for using alternative methods? What are the most common alternative methods? Why are phytogenic compounds gaining importance in current poultry production? Why are ionophores classified as a growth-promotant antibiotic in the US while they are considered feed additives in the European Union? How does the vaccine against coccidia work? What would you recommend transitioning from traditional anticoccidial schemes to alternative systems? What would be an ideal anticoccidial rotation program to be established on a broiler farm? To read the full article, click here