Category: Eimeria

The importance of information and data quality in any production process is no longer a matter for debate. Poultry production is no exception to this and we are increasingly seeing how the use of technology and relevant information is on the rise. The vaccination process and, more specifically, the control of Eimeria should form part of this new information model.

In the 2016 ‘Power of Meat’ survey, one of the emerging trends was consumers’ increasing awareness regarding traceability and transparency in the production process of the meat they consume.

There is a general consensus that consumers in the future will be more sensitive towards where their meat comes from and treatments given to animals used for meat production. For example, the same survey from 2017 stated that “antibiotic-free” was the most highly valued specific characteristic for poultry meat consumers ahead of others such as “organic” or “natural”.

Continue reading The importance of a smart vaccination in the control of Eimeria

As mentioned in the previous post “What does Hipraspray® give us that other devices already on the market do not? (Part 1)” Hipraspray® is the first device that has been specially developed for the administration of the Eimeria vaccines EVALON and HIPRACOX^®.

The previous post provided details on the following points, which on this occasion, we will merely list.

Continue reading What does Hipraspray^® give us that other devices already on the market do not (Part 2)?

HIPRA, the reference in Animal Health and prevention, positions itself as the only company able to develop a system of vaccine administration against the main Eimeria species with its own traceability, with the development and production of its own machines and software developed internally and entirely to create traceability and services for our customers.

So Hipraspray® is the first device specially developed for the administration of the coccidia vaccines EVALON^®, developed especially for long life-cycle birds, and HIPRACOX^®, a vaccine developed mainly for short life-cycle birds, the formulation of which contains E. praecox, an Eimeria strain that sets it apart from its competitors.

Continue reading What does Hipraspray^® give us that other devices already on the market do not (Part 1)?

HIPRA has overcome structural and strategic changes to develop its own vaccine administration medical devices to ensure the maximum efficacy and correct administration of its vaccines. Not only that, HIPRA’s innovation in vaccination also provides valuable information to support the decision-making process.

Market situation and acceptance of new Eimeria vaccine administration devices for poultry.

In light of the desperate need for parameter optimisation in the livestock farming industry, HIPRA has emerged as leader in the traceability of vaccination processes.

In terms of prevention against diseases caused by Eimeria in chickens, Hipraspray^® represents a turning point and a major leap forward in the use of vaccination devices. With this system, HIPRA offers a high performance vaccination device specifically designed to ensure maximum efficacy of its EVALON^® and HIPRACOX^® products. In short, HIPRA brings some added value to both the hatchery and the final producer.

Continue reading Hipraspray®: the development of an Eimeria vaccination device for poultry

Coccidiosis – due to parasites of the genus Eimeria – is one of the most devastating diseases in poultry: a disease which has always being present in every poultry flock since the first chick appeared on the earth; in fact, Eimeria is an ever-present parasite that it is impossible to eradicate. For this reason, a coccidiosis prevention strategy needs to be put in place for each batch of chickens that arrives on a farm. Worldwide losses due to coccidiosis in poultry are estimated to be around US$1.5 billion/year.

From the 1950s the use of some chemical molecules has been implemented to prevent the effects of the several Eimeria species that cause the disease. Whereas the use of vaccines is quite commune in breeders, only between 5 and 6% of broilers in the world are actually vaccinated instead of being treated with anticoccidials.

Continue reading Can Eimeria vaccines replace anticoccidials for the prevention of coccidiosis in poultry farming?

The Eimeria species responsible for coccidiosis in the species Gallus gallus are: E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. mitis, E. praecox and E. tenella, which are responsible for the disease in short life-cycle poultry (broilers), and E. necatrix and E. brunetti, which, together with the above 5 species, are responsible for the occurrence of outbreaks in long life-cycle poultry (breeders and layers). They are all ubiquitous in their behaviour and vary in their pathogenicity.

There are seven Eimeria species that are responsible for avian coccidiosis, 5 of which cause the disease in broilers: E. acervulina, E. mitis, E. tenella, E. maxima and E. praecox.

Continue reading The Eimeria species responsible for coccidiosis in broiler chickens

Seven species of Eimeria (E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. maxima, E. mitis, E. necatrix, E. praecox and E. tenella) are recognized to be causative agents of coccidiosis in chickens of the genus Gallus gallus. Until recently, Eimeria praecox was considered to be a non-pathogenic species unable to cause adverse effects in the host.

In fact, in 1970, when Johnson & Reid wrote the milestone article that for the first time standardized and described the scoring scale for lesions caused by all Eimeria spp., Eimeria praecox was not included. It was, and still is, well know that E. praecox is not able to provoke pathognomonic lesions like E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. maxima, E. necatrix and E. tenella, however even then some researchers were investigating whether this species of Eimeria was truly non-pathogenic.

Continue reading Eimeria praecox: a brief story of the big unknown of coccidiosis in poultry

Eimeria spp is a protozoan parasite with a complex life cycle and so is the host immune response to Eimeria infection. In the last decade, huge progress has been made in the identification of host and parasite genes involved in immunogenicity but there are still some immunity mechanisms to be discovered.

 

As a general rule, we say that Eimeria immunity is species-specific, meaning that each species of Eimeria is able to stimulate protective immunity against itself. Although some studies suggest that partial cross-protection can be achieved (Augustine et al. 1991), from a practical perspective we have to assume the widely accepted belief that there is no cross-protection between species.

Continue reading Eimeria immunogenicity, basic information and protection conferred by a precocious line of Eimeria necatrix.

The Eimeria biological cycle is a very complex one and is comprised of intracellular, extracellular, asexual and sexual stages. It is of paramount importance its understanding as its comprehension helps to understand the parasite epidemiology in the field, its pathogenicity and immunobiology.

 

Seven species of Eimeria (E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. maxima, E. mitis, E. necatrix, E. praecox and E. tenella) are recognized to be causative agents of coccidiosis in chickens of the genus Gallus gallus.

Continue reading Eimeria biological cycle: an example of perfect complexity in biology