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Planning your attack against coccidiosis
Authored by: Dr. Sekhar Basak, Innovista Consulting, New Delhi
The battle against coccidiosis requires caref step-by-
careful
step planning. The first thing to do is to define precisely
what you are up against. Having used lesion scoring
and oocyst counting to determine that coccidio
coccidiosis is
the most probable cause of your broiler
performance, there are still many ques questions that
have to be addressed.
1. Is the primary cause of the problem a coccidiosis
challenge which is simply too high for the birds to
tolerate?
2. Or is the outbreak caused by interinter-current (immuno-
compromising) diseases?
3. Is the level of anticoccidial in th feed too low?
the
4. Are poor management standards a factor?
5. Is the problem localized or is it wide
wide-spread?
6. Is there a ‘real’ problem or are you looking at ‘normal’ seasonal fluctuations?
Only by finding answers to these and other questions can you identify and
implement best possible solutions.
However, the problem often lies in the area of product selection. A good place to
start is to evaluate the available products and ensure the best ones for your
particular requirements are used in the most effective way.
Studying the historical surveys of programmes and products used in the broiler
integration will teach a lot. It will give a very good indication of which products
need to be rested for a while, and which products can be used again. The efficacy of
anticoccidials, or in other words the sensitivity of the parasite to the drugs, is very
s, vity
strongly related to the intensity with which these products have been used in the
integration over the past few years. Find out how long a specific product was
included in the feed, and for how long it was rested each time.
Sometimes a sensitivity test can be of help. With a sensitivity test, the performance
of a whole range of products can be evaluated at the same time and comparisons
can be made. These so-called
called ‘anticoccidiograms’ will once again tell which
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products to use and which ones to rest, as long as you keep in mind that they only
indicate what is going on in lab conditions. They don’t reflect the dynamic changes
in coccidial populations, nor the interactions with many other influencing field
factors. Indeed, anticoccidiograms on their own are unsuitable for predicting specific
anticoccidial performances in the medium and longer term.
Ionophores
The main group of poultry feed additives is the polyether antibiotics – commonly
called ionophores. These products are obtained through fermentation and, so far,
six compounds have become available:
Monensin, lasalocid, salinomycin, narasin, maduramycin and semduramicin.
The mechanism of action of all ionophores is very similar, since they mediate
transport of mono-and divalent cations through the membrane of the parasite,
resulting in disturbance of its osmotic balance. According to the precise method of
action and the chemical structure of the product, ionophores can be divided into
three groups: monovalent (monensin, narasin, salinomycin), monovalent glycoside
(maduramycin, semduramicin) and divalent (lasalocid). Each ionophore has its
specific strengths and weaknesses with regard to its action spectrum and potency.
Monensin, narasin and salinomycin are intrinsically more efficacious against Eimeria
acervulina.
Synthetic products
The second group is the synthetic anticoccidials. These are synthesized drugs which
include various groups of completely different chemical classes. DOT, Clopidol,
Diclazuril and Robenidine have been very useful for shuttle programs.
Each synthetic product must be evaluated in order to determine its specific
strengths and weaknesses with regard to the control of coccidiosis, particularly
strains of Eimeria and the potential development of resistance.
Nicarbazine marketed in combination with ionophore maduramycin, the brand name
MEGACOX by Innovista Consulting is a potent, broad-spectrum anticoccidial
effective in all Eimeria species causing coccidiosis with a low potential for resistance
development. Megacox can be ideally used during summers and monsoons during
high coccidial challenges. The Brand Megacox has been recently launched by
Innovista Consulting in the Indian market.
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Amprolium is a good anticoccidial for the control of cecal coccidiosis, but is not very
effective against intestinal species. The product has been on the market for about
35 years and is now mainly used as a therapeutic.
ROBIDON (Robenidine 10%) is yet another synthetic compound launched by
Innovista Consulting in India. ROBIDON is a safe, broad-spectrum anticoccidial, very
useful during high coccidial challenges and an ideal product for starter programs.
Diclazuril, which has been used for long, has potent broad spectrum activity against
all Eimeria spp. Specific resistance induction tests have shown that resistance
against E. acervulina strains developed faster than resistance against E. tenella or
E. maxima.
Choose the right program
Having gained an understanding of the products available, the next step is to
combine the selected and preferred products into the right anticoccidial program. To
do this effectively, one must have enough information about the efficacy profile of
the various anticoccidials used in his integration/company.
In general, it can be said that a more balanced use of ionophores and synthetic
products is needed for your future anticoccidial programs. These programs should
not be built on just a few products. All the available anticoccidials are useful in the
control of coccidiosis. You simply have to know which product to use and when to
use it. The first rule is to reserve the strongest product for the periods of highest
risk of coccidiosis.
The sheer number of available products allows broiler producers to achieve best
results from the use of product combinations and shuttle programs. The wide choice
of chemical entities also allows you to rest certain anticoccidials while still using
other products.
Plan periods of rest
The secret here is to plan a long rest period for each product used. Management of
anticoccidial resistance development means that the use of each product is
controlled and that, at the same time, sufficiently long rest periods are respected for
all products. The objectives of such planning exercise are to obtain a certain dilution
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of the resistant Eimeria strain into a more sensitive population, and to enable each
product to regain at least part of its overall efficacy.
Remember that anticoccidial shuttle programs are almost always targeted at the
‘average’ farm within a particular integration. For some farms they will work
extremely well, but for a few they may be less effective. A rational shuttle program
should be based on the following:
Low challenge
Early infection
Early immunity stimulation
Optional protection
Compensatory growth
No damage
Battle and wars
Coccidiosis will never be eradicated, but important progress has been made in
controlling the damage resulting from coccidiosis infection in poultry. The strength
of the anticoccidial program and the speed and level of protective immunity seem to
be the most important ones, but the quality of broiler management on the farm
should not be underestimated.
Please send your queries to:
Dr. Sekhar Basak,
Managing Director,
Innovista Consulting
Email: md@innovistaconsulting.com
Off: A-602, Vasundhra CGHS, Plot no. 16, Sector 6, Dwarka, New Delhi 110075
Phone: +91-9871203111 Email: md@innovistaconsulting.com