Prevalence of coccidiosis and knowledge, practice and effectiveness of anticoccidial drug regimens used in layer poultry farms in Kakiri Sub-County

Abstract

Coccidiosis, caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria, poses a significant threat to poultry worldwide, with seven known species infecting chickens. Despite being a long-known disease, it remains the most economically important parasitic condition in poultry production globally, causing severe symptoms like diarrhea, decreased growth, and high mortality rates. Birds contract the infection by ingesting oocytes from contaminated feeds, leading to the destruction of thousands of gastrointestinal cells. Preventing and controlling coccidiosis involve the use of anticoccidial drugs, combined with hygienic measures and improved farm management. However, coccidia's resistance to some drugs and challenges in assessing drug efficacy have emerged. As the broiler industry rapidly develops, the availability of effective anticoccidial drugs becomes crucial. Addressing drug effectiveness and interpreting the efficacy of anticoccidial programs are ongoing challenges in poultry management and disease control. This research aimed at determining the prevalence of coccidiosis, accessing the farmers' knowledge and practice regarding anticoccidial drugs, and establishing the effectiveness of these drugs in controlling the disease A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kakiri Sub-County in 2023 aimed to address the significant impact of coccidiosis on poultry productivity. The research focused on 46 randomly selected poultry farms to determine the prevalence of coccidiosis using fecal flotation and McMaster techniques. Simultaneously, the study assessed farmers' knowledge and practices concerning the use of anticoccidial drugs, aiming to establish the effectiveness of these treatments on farmer’s opinion in controlling the disease and the commonly used anticoccidial drug was identified. The questionnaire-based data collection involved well-structured interviews with farm owners and stakeholders, covering crucial factors such as chicken age, flock size, anticoccidial use, farmer’s knowledge and practice on use of anticoccidials. The prevalence of coccidiosis was found at 71.74% of the surveyed farms where 29 samples tested positive for the disease. Majority of the farmers reported use of toltrazuril (34.8%) in the management of the coccidiosis. Other drugs used include sulphadimidine (32.6%), amprolium (26.1%) and sodium salinomycin (6.5%). The farmers reported overall anticoccidial effectiveness of 78.3% from the used drugs indicating suboptimal efficacy of the drugs used in controlling coccidiosis. Toltrazuril was reported as most effective by the farmers at 93.8% effectiveness rate. Amprolium and sulphadimidine indicated 83.3% and 66.7% effectiveness respectively while feed additive sodium salinomycin was least effective at only 33.3%. Although the farmers had knowledge about coccidiosis and anticoccidial, practices regarding the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis were found to be inadequate. Only 32.6% of the farmers practiced proper dosage, 10.9% practiced proper withdraw periods and 43.6% followed proper drug mixing procedures. Due to a high coccidiosis prevalence, the study highlights the need for scheduled vaccination of birds at farm levels and awareness on biosecurity practices. This will have a significant impact on the health and productivity of poultry farms. The study highlights appropriate use of recommended anticoccidial drugs in poultry farms to archive maximum effectiveness of the drug regimens. Training programs and educational campaigns should be developed to equip farmers with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively control coccidiosis. Additionally, further research is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of anticoccidial drugs at laboratory level.