Detección de especies de eimeria en pollos de engorde a diferentes edades en una granja del cantón Piñas

Abstract

In the present study, the presence and prevalence of Eimeria spp. were evaluated in broiler chickens of different ages on a poultry farm in the Piñas canton, El Oro province, Ecuador. A total of 44 fecal samples were collected and analyzed using the flotation technique, identifying the presence of six main species: E. maxima, E. tenella, E. acervulina, E. necatrix, E. mitis, and E. brunetti. The results showed an overall prevalence of 81.82%, with a progressive increase in the presence of Eimeria spp. from the third week of age. The prevalence of the Eimeria species found were: E. maxima (25.52%), E. acervulina (25.52%), E. tenella (21.27%), E. mitis (14.20%), E. necatrix (8.52%) and E. brunetti (4.96%). The average oocyst count per gram of fecal matter (OPG) increased with age, recording 390 OPG at 3 weeks and 2,510 OPG at 7 weeks. The main causes of the parasitic increase included poor management practices in the final weeks, such as inadequate cleaning of the barn, failure to change bedding, non-compliance with biosecurity measures, and the presence of vectors. Therefore, the need to implement management, biosecurity, and pharmacological control measures is emphasized to prevent and control coccidiosis, a disease that significantly affects poultry health and productivity.