Prevalence of coccidiosis in broiler-chicken farms in the Kerbala and Babylon provinces, Iraq

Abstract EN

Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease of chickens caused by various species of protozoan parasites within the genus eimeria.

diagnosis and genetic characterization of different species of eimeria are central to the prevention , surveillance , and control of coccidiosis.

the aim of the present study was to identified different poultry eimeria species that considered the causal agents of poultry coccidiosis in each of the Karbala and Babylon provinces.

the present study observations were revealed platuation ( increasing and decreasing) the percentages of infection with coccidiosis during different months of a year and that due to the large change in temperature and humidity in Iraq, a lot off 200 samples of feces and intestines were collected from chickens that suspected infection with coccidiosis during the period from august 2013 to July 2014 and the results revealed that 160 samples were positive depending on the macroscopic and microscopic examination which diagnosed three species of eimeria includes e.tenella which formed the largest proportion of the total positive samples (66.8%) then the species e.necatrix which accounted for (30%) and finally the species e.maxima which form (3.13%).

the results showed that the highest percentage of infection in both of Karbala and Babylon provinces were in December (23.12%) and the lowest percentage in July (1.87%).