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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #301616
Title: Comparison of live Eimeria vaccination with in-feed Salinomycin on growth and immune status in broiler chickens

Author
item LEE, K - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item JANG, S - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item Lee, Sung
item BAUTISTA, G - University Of Delaware
item RITTER, E - Mountaire Farms, Inc
item LILLEHOJ, E - University Of Maryland
item SIRAGUSA, G - Danisco Usa, Inc

Submitted to: Research in Veterinary Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2014
Publication Date: 2/28/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/58969
Citation: Lee, K.W., Lillehoj, H.S., Jang, S.I., Lee, S.H., Bautista, G.D., Ritter, E.P., Lillehoj, E.P., Siragusa, G.R. 2014. Comparison of live Eimeria vaccination with in-feed Salinomycin on growth and immune status in broiler chickens. Research in Veterinary Science. 95(1):110-4. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.02.005.

Interpretive Summary: Avian coccidiosis is a common, global parasitic disease that is caused by parasites that infect the gut. Coccidiosis has historically been controlled by vaccination with live parasites or by drugs. However, conflicting effects on broiler growth performance (that is, body weight gain) have been reported in efficacy trials comparing vaccination- versus drug-based disease control programs, and better information is necessary on different commercially-used strategies. In this report, ARS scientists compared various growth performance and immune response parameters following vaccination and treatment salinomycin, an antibacterial and antiparasitic drug. The results demonstrated that vaccination against avian coccidiosis may be more effective compared with dietary salinomycin drug for growth performance and enhancing innate immune response in commercial poultry production. This new results will help field veterinarians to devise effective disease management strategies against avian coccidiosis.

Technical Abstract: Coccidiosis vaccines and coccidiostat drugs are commonly used to control Eimeria infection during commercial poultry production. The present study was conducted to compare the relative effectiveness of these two disease control strategies in broiler chickens in an experimental research facility. Birds were orally vaccinated with a live, attenuated vaccine (Inovocox) or were provided with in-feed salinomycin (Bio-Cox), and body weights, serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) and antibodies against Eimeria profilin and Clostridium perfringens PFO proteins, and intestinal levels of cytokine gene transcripts were measured. Vaccinated chickens had increased body weights, greater NO levels, and higher profilin and PFO antibody levels compared with salinomycin-fed birds. Transcripts for interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor superfamily 15, and interferon-' were increased, while mRNAs for IL-4 and IL-10 were decreased, in immunized chickens compared with salinomycin-treated chickens. In conclusion, vaccination against avian coccidiosis may be more effective compared with dietary salinomycin for increasing body weight and augmenting pro-inflammatory immune status during commercial poultry production.