Most important aspects of immunogenety of Eimeria spp

Abstract

The increasing progress in immunology and molecular biology indicates two possible alternatives on which the prophylaxis of this disease could be based. One is to find and apply a more efficient and reliable vaccine, and the other implies passive immunization through maternal antibodies. Although this second is still in the stage of laboratory investigations, it is given increasing importance. There is no cross immunity between certain species of Eimeria spp. in birds, which is why certain species of this causal agent can later lead to an outbreak of the disease, even though immunity had earlier been established to some other causative agent of the genus Eimeria. Immunoprophylaxis is the only serious practical alternative to the application of anticoccidia in controlling coccidiosis. This form of prophylaxis is based on the application of a live virulent or attentuated vaccine, so that vaccinated flock yield 9.6 eggs more per animal, and mortality among them is reduced in comparison to flocks which are subjected to standard anticoccidial programmes.

Sve veći napredak u imunologiji i molekularnoj biologiji ukazuje na dve moguće varijante na kojima bi mogla da bude zasnovana profilaksa ovog oboljenja. Jedna je pronalaženje i primena efikasnije i pouzdane vakcine, a druga podrazumeva pasivnu imunizaciju putem maternalnih antitela. Mada je ona još uvek u domenu laboratorijskih istraživanja, pridaje joj se sve veći značaj. Između pojedinih vrsta ejmerija kod ptica ne postoji unakrsni imunitet, zbog čega različite vrste ovog uzročnika kasnije mogu da dovedu do izbijanja bolesti, iako je prethodno stvoren imunitet na nekog drugog uzročnika iz roda Eimeria. Jedina ozbiljna praktična alternativa primeni antikokcidijala u kontroli kokcidioze jeste imunoprofilaksa. Ovaj vid profilakse baziran je na primeni žive virulentne ili atenuirane vakcine, tako da vakcinisana jata daju 9,6 jaja više po jedinki, a mortalitet kod njih je smanjen u odnosu na jata koja su pod standardnim antikokcidijalnim programom.