Coccidia and coccidiosis research

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by single-celled protozoa of the genus *Eimeria* that invade the intestinal lining of poultry, causing tissue damage, impaired nutrient absorption, and significant mortality in commercial flocks worldwide. Researchers study how these parasites complete their life cycles within host cells, how the avian immune system recognizes and responds to infection, and how vaccines and anticoccidial drugs can be developed or optimized to reduce disease burden without accelerating drug resistance. A central challenge is that the seven major *Eimeria* species affecting chickens differ substantially in their biology and pathogenicity, making broad-spectrum control difficult and driving genomic and immunological work aimed at identifying shared targets for intervention. Active directions include designing next-generation live-attenuated and recombinant vaccines, understanding the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance, and finding nutritional or immunomodulatory strategies that strengthen host defenses without relying solely on pharmaceuticals.

Works

32,449

Total citations

263,460

Keywords

Poultry CoccidiosisVaccine DevelopmentAnticoccidial DrugsImmune ResponseEimeria SpeciesControl Measures