Coccidia and coccidiosis research

Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease of poultry caused by single-celled parasites of the genus *Eimeria*, which invade and destroy gut tissue, leading to reduced feed conversion, poor growth, and significant mortality in commercial flocks. Because the global poultry industry depends heavily on a small number of highly susceptible host species raised in dense conditions, controlling *Eimeria* infections has long been a central challenge in agricultural science, historically managed through a rotating arsenal of anticoccidial drugs whose effectiveness is increasingly compromised by resistance. Researchers are now working to understand the immunological mechanisms that allow birds to develop protective immunity after natural exposure or vaccination, with the goal of designing more durable live-attenuated and subunit vaccines that reduce reliance on chemical prophylaxis. Open questions include how different *Eimeria* species and strains evade or suppress host immune responses at the molecular level, and how genomic variation across parasite populations can be tracked and exploited to stay ahead of both drug resistance and vaccine escape.

Works

32,239

Total citations

261,563

Keywords

Poultry CoccidiosisVaccine DevelopmentAnticoccidial DrugsImmune ResponseEimeria SpeciesControl Measures