Barbour E.K., Ayyash D.B., Shaib H., Bragg R.R., Azhar E., Iyer A., Harakeh S., Kambris Z., Kumosani T.
Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon; Biochemistry Department, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon; Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela Drive, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa; Special Infectious Agents Unit - Biosafety Level 3, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Biochemistry Department, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Biology Dept, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Barbour, E.K., Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon, Biochemistry Department, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Ayyash, D.B., Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon; Shaib, H., Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon; Bragg, R.R., Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela Drive, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa; Azhar, E., Special Infectious Agents Unit - Biosafety Level 3, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Iyer, A., Biochemistry Department, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Harakeh, S., Special Infectious Agents Unit - Biosafety Level 3, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kambris, Z., Biology Dept, American University of Beirut, Lebanon; Kumosani, T., Biochemistry Department, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The purpose of this research is to establish a model of Koch's postulate for reproducing coccidiosis in broilers by co-infection with eight most common Eimeria spp. involved in this economic disease, in an attempt to use this model in future evaluation of new controlling biologics. Four groups of broilers each challenged at a different age (14, 21, 28, and 35 d) with an equivalent number of sporulated oocysts of eight Eimeria spp. had a reduction in their mean weight gain of 10.2% compared to the four parallel control groups of birds that were deprived of the challenge. The mean feed to live body weight conversion ratio increased significantly from 1.5 in the four unchallengedcontrol groups to 3.1 in the four challenged groups (P<0.05). The mean frequency of mortality increased up to 15% in the challenged groups in comparison to 5% in the controls. This higher mortality was associated in most challenged groups with significant increase in the mean lesion scores and mean oocyst count in the intestine compared to those observed in the controls. The benefit of this established model of Koch's postulate for reproducing coccidiosis in broilers, in future search of new controlling biologics, will be presented.