EXOone Eimeria praecox

Description

Avian coccidiosis is caused by protozoa of Phylum Apicomplexa, fam. Eimeriidae. Although it affects several species of birds, it is in laying hens and broilers where it has the greatest impact. The disease occurs through the ingestion of sporulated oocysts.
E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. maxima, E. mitis, E. necatrix, E. praecox and E. tenella, are accepted of being capable of infect Gallus gallus. Most of clinical outbreaks are due to mixed infections of several species of Eimeria and, therefore, lesions are observed in different areas of the intestine.
Infection of chickens with the protozoan parasite E. praecox is normally asymptomatic, but may cause reduced feed efficiency, reduced weight gain, and predispose to other intestinal conditions. It is non-pathogenic, however severe infection can cause dehydration through excessive fluid loss. Molecular techniques such as qPCR allow faster and more reliable detection.