Coccidiosis en pollos de engorda comerciales en Brazil entre 2012 y 2019: especies principales y grados de daño

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine the occurrence of coccidiosis in broilers, detect the most commonly occurring species of Eimeria spp, and parasitic burdens in industrial poultry in Brazil from 2012 to 2019. We studied 13,648 birds between 9–49 days of age at 82 companies in 13 Brazilian states. Birds were randomly selected (3–6 birds/aviary) and euthanized. Macroscopic lesions were analyzed, and the intestinal mucosa was scraped to count E. maxima oocysts. The classification of species was based on the size of the oocysts. We also quantified the infectious burden using a scoring system. Subclinical coccidiosis (E. maxima micro) was detected in an average of 34.8%, E. acervulina (16.1%), E. maxima (7.9%), and E. tenella (4.1%) were also identified with annual fluctuations. The count of oocysts was within score 1 (1–10 oocysts/bird) in 47.5–84.4% of the cases; followed by score 2 (11–20), 3 (21–40) and 4 (over 41 oocysts/bird). Subclinical coccidiosis is a cause for concern, with 3.5 out of every ten birds being infected. This is a factor responsible for the lower productive performance of broilers.