Coccidiosis in the turkey

Coccidiosis is a widespread disease of considerable economic importance to the turkey industry, as is evident by the fact that many millions of dollars are spent annually on its control. Despite this, in recent years little research has been conducted on the causative organisms--protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria. This is unfortunate because current methods of control are not without problems. It is possible, therefore, that in the future optimal productivity in turkey production will be difficult to achieve. There has been no recent comprehensive literature review of coccidiosis in the turkey. In the present article our knowledge of the biology of the species of Eimeria that infect the turkey is critically reviewed. Other topics considered include host specificity, host resistance, acquired immunity, in vitro cultivation, pathology, pathogenicity, clinical signs, diagnosis, epidemiology, prevalence, significance, chemotherapy, drug resistance, drug toxicity, and vaccination. The review is intended to provide a baseline for future studies of this important disease.