M. A. IQBAL1, M. R. ISLAM2, M. J. BHUIYAN3, M. ALAM4 and S. BEGUM5*
1=Mohammad Allama Iqbal, Assistant General Manager, Spetra-Hexa Feeds Ltd., Bangladesh, 2Md. Rafiqul Islam, Professor, Department of Medicine, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 3Md. Jamal Uddin Bhuiyan, Professor, Department of Parasitology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 4Md. Masud Alam, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Statistics, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet and 5Shahana Begum, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
*Corresponding author’s Email: begumbd78@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Coccidiosis is a one of the most devastating protozoan diseases of poultry which causes a substantial economic impact to the poultry industry as well as to the food security of livelihood. Few reports on the avian coccidian species in Bangladesh have been documented even though there are limited published data on the occurrence of coccidian species in broiler chicken. The contemporary research work was designed to investigate the prevalence of different species of avian coccidiosis in broiler chicken of Bangladesh. Samples and other related data were taken aseptically by frequent visit to the affected farms. The coccidian species were identified depending on the oocyst size, sporulation time, shape and color of the oocysts by standard method. About 30% of broiler farms were found as infected with avian coccidia. Five coccidian species were found in broiler chicken like as Eimeria tenella, Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria necatrix, Eimeria maxima and Eimeria brunetti. The highest prevalence of E. tenella (25%) and the least prevalence of Eimeria brunetti (3%) were found as mono infection of coccidiosis. Moreover the maximum prevalence of mixed infection with E. tenella and E. acervulina was recorded as about 42%. This study was recommended that several avian coccidian species is circulating in commercial broiler farms of Bangladesh as mono and mixed infection which induce high mortality as well as less body weight gain.
Keywords: Prevalence, Coccidiosis, Infection, Mortality and Broiler chicken.