Coccidiosis in Chickens (Gallus gallus)

Coccidiosis causes further loss and concerns of zoonotic foodborne disease as it is associated with increased intestinal colonization of bacteria Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis. In chickens, coccidiosis is caused by species in the genera Eimeria . Chicken Eimeria are host specific, and most invade specific regions of the gut. The major species to cause pathogenicity differ depending on the type of chicken being raised, and the pathogenic effects of Eimeria species can vary depending on the host infected. All Eimeria species that infect commercial poultry have the same general life cycle, with primary differences between the species arising in host predilection and the target tissue described earlier. Samples are collected, fixed in formalin, sectioned, and stained for examination for the presence of Eimeria species, inflammatory response, and disruption of the normal tissue using hematoxylin and eosin stain.