Abstract
Advent of quantitative polymerase chain reaction and its variants have enabled identification and quantification of seven known Eimeria species of poultry in biological samples. Attempts were made in the present study to identify and quantify three important pathogenic Eimeria species responsible for intestinal coccidiosis in domestic farmed chicken, E. necatrix, E. acervulina and E. maxima in droppings collected from thirty one poultry farms of North Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The study included broiler, layer and backyard rearing units. Overall occurrence of E. necatrix, E. maxima and E. acervulina was 64.5%. E. necatrix was detected in 55% (11/20) broiler farms, 66.7% (4/6) layer farms and 100% (5/5) backyard rearing units studied. Thus, occurrence of E. necatrix was detected in 64.5% (20/31) farms studied. E. maxima and E. acervulina were detected in droppings of 65% (13/20) broiler farms, 66.7% (4/6) layer farms and 60% (3/5) back yard rearing units. Genome counts of each Eimeria species revealed maximum parasite load of E. necatrix followed by E. acervulina in broiler farms and least in layer farms. The mean parasite load (genome) copies for these parasite species were intermediate for backyard units while E. maxima had the lowest number of genome copies in droppings. Mean E. maxima counts were highest in boiler farms, while it was similar for layer and back yard units. However, statistically no significant differences were observed for parasite load existing either between the broiler, layer or back yard units or between the genome counts of E. necatrix, E. acervulina or E. maxima.