Turkey Coccidiosis: Pathological Lesions to Molecular Diagnostics

    

Turkey coccidiosis is caused by Eimeria species. Seven Eimeria species are recognized in turkeys of which three are considered highly pathogenic and predominant.

The objective of this presentation is to provide an overview of the pathological lesions of turkey coccidiosis for field vets, techs, supervisors, and turkey growers. Application of advanced molecular diagnostic tools, such as PCR and sequencing, to speciate the Eimeria oocysts will be presented.

In subclinical field cases, the pathological lesions of coccidiosis are not well expressed. In severe cases of clinical coccidiosis, the pathological lesions of coccidiosis may be expressed but masked by other enteric pathogens.

Turkey Eimeria oocysts cannot be speciated based solely on the morphology/size of oocysts and location of the lesions in the intestine. Some Eimeria species have overlapping oocyst size ranges and a few species induce lesions in the same portion of the intestine. In such cases, as well as in cases of multi-species infection, PCR followed by sequencing helps in the confirmation of Eimeria species.

The audience will benefit from observing the pathological lesions in the intestine and have a better understanding on speciation of Eimeria based on advanced molecular techniques.