Efficacy of an anticoccidial live vaccine in prevention of necrotic enteritis in chickens

• Published in: Experimental parasitology 2014-10, Vol.145, p.125-134
• Main Authors: Bangoura, Berit, Alnassan, Alaa Aldin, Lendner, Matthias, Shehata, Awad Ali, Krüger, Monika, Daugschies, Arwid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Chicken; Chickens - parasitology; Clostridium Infections - microbiology; Clostridium Infections - prevention & control; Clostridium Infections - veterinary; Clostridium perfringens; Clostridium perfringens - genetics; Clostridium perfringens - pathogenicity; Coccidiosis; Coccidiosis - complications; Coccidiosis - prevention & control; Coccidiosis - veterinary; Cytokine; Cytokines - metabolism; Eimeria - immunology; Eimeria tenella - immunology; Enteritis - microbiology; Enteritis - parasitology; Enteritis - prevention & control; Enteritis - veterinary; Feces - parasitology; Jejunum - pathology; Necrosis - veterinary; Necrotic enteritis; Parasite Egg Count - veterinary; Poultry Diseases - microbiology; Poultry Diseases - parasitology; Poultry Diseases - prevention & control; Protozoan Vaccines - standards; Vaccination; Vaccines, Attenuated - standards
• ISSN: 0014-4894; 1090-2449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2014.08.004

[Display omitted] •A necrotic enteritis (NE) model with C. perfringens and Eimeria spp. was used.•Anticoccidial vaccine decreased clinical signs and weight depression due to NE.•Cytokine expression profile was altered during clinically relevant coinfections.•Vaccine prevented severe NE and is a promising tool for field control measures. Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an important disease in poultry caused by Clostridium perfringens combined with predisposing factors, mainly eimeriosis. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of a commercial attenuated anticoccidial live vaccine against NE in a clinical infection model using 60day-old chicks. Vaccination was performed on study day (SD) 1 with natural booster-infections for 4weeks from Eimeria spp. oocysts present in litter. On SD 28, five groups were formed (n=12): group V+/C−E− (vaccinated, uninfected), group V+/C−E+ (vaccinated, infected with Eimeria spp.), group V+/C+E+ (vaccinated, infected with clostridia and Eimeria spp.), group V−/C+E+ (unvaccinated, infected with clostridia and Eimeria spp.), and group NC (negative control). Efficacy was measured by clinical parameters, pathogen multiplication, and pathological parameters assessed during two necropsies on SD 34 and SD 40, respectively. Additionally, cytokine expression was measured in gut and spleen tissues at necropsy. Clinical signs of NE were observed only in the coinfected groups, mainly in group V−/C+E+. Accordingly, lowest body weight gain was observed in group V−/C+E+ (301.8g from SD 28 to SD 40; group NC: 626.2g). Oocyst excretion varied significantly (P