Original scientific paper

Lesion scoring technique for assessing the virulence and pathogenicity of Indian field isolates of avian Eimeria species.

Muthusamy Raman ; Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Chennai, India
Samsudeen S. Banu ; Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Chennai, India
Sankaralingam Gomathinayagam ; Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Chennai, India
Gopal D. Raj ; Department of Animal Biotechnology, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu, Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Chennai, India

Abstract

Chicken coccidiosis caused by the genus Eimeria is a major health impediment causing high morbidity and mortality in commercial poultry. Assessment of the virulence and pathogenicity of Eimeria species are the vital factors for formulating effective control strategies. The gross lesion score was used in this study for assessing the virulence and pathogenicity of indigenous six Eimeria sp. in a controlled experimental trial using six groups of one hundred and twenty chicks of three weeks of age, inoculated with 2 × 10 2 to 2 × 103 numbers of oocysts of six species of Eimeria. While an extended prepatent period (2 - 6 hrs) was confirmed in the majority of the species, the gross lesion scores were mostly within the low score of 1-2 compared to the international reference strains such as Houghton, so indicating possible natural attenuation of the field isolates. The gross lesion scores (GLS) were assessed ranging from a scale of 0 (no gross lesion) to 4 (most severe lesion). This study seems to be the first such attempt to standardize a lesion scoring technique for assessing the virulence and pathogenicity of indigenous isolates of Eimeria in the Indian sub-continent.

Keywords

chickens; Eimeria; assessment; virulence; prepatent period; gross lesion score

Hrčak ID:

67358

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/67358

Publication date:

26.4.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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