COCCIDIOSIS IN BROILER FARMS OF MEKELLE CITY, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA: ANALYSIS OF BIOSECURITY PRACTICES, PREVALENCE, AND POSTMORTEM LESIONS

Abstract

Coccidiosis, a serious parasitic disease, poses a significant threat to commercial chicken farms, leading to substantial financial and job losses for producers. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between poultry coccidiosis prevalence and biosecurity practices on commercial broiler farms. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to November 2024 assessed biosecurity levels and coccidiosis prevalence in small and medium-sized broiler farms in Mekelle city. A total of 257 fresh chicken dropping samples from broiler farms were collected and examined for Eimeria oocysts using microscopy and McMaster Technique, and biosecurity practices of 23 small and 15 medium-scale farms were measured using UGBioCheck Tool. The overall prevalence of Eimeria oocyst infections among the fecal samples were 23.74% and farm-level prevalence was 68.42 %. The analysis revealed a significant association between age and coccidiosis prevalence (p < 0.05), indicating that younger chickens (< 8 weeks) had a higher infection rate compared to older ones. The study also categorized the oocyst counts, and 70.49% of positive samples had low levels of infection (less than 10,000 oocysts per gram), while only 9.84% exhibited high levels of infection. In postmortem examinations, 55.56% of the examined cases showed gross lesions indicative of coccidiosis, with the cecum being the most affected site (38.89%). The overall, external and internal biosecurity scores were measured to be 47.26%, 44.57% and 53%, respectively. This shows that the biosecurity scores were significantly lower than global averages. Furthermore, external biosecurity score was lower than internal biosecurity score, with visitors and farm workers and disease management rated highest in external and internal biosecurity. Over 73% of the farms housed other animals, and 42.11% reported nearby water sources that could risk disease transmission. All farms followed vaccination protocols and removed dead birds daily, with around 97.37% cleaning poultry houses after each production cycle. The study found a strong correlation between low biosecurity scores and higher occurrences of coccidiosis; specifically, 57.89% of farms with poor biosecurity scores tested positive for Eimeria oocysts. The findings underscore the need for improved biosecurity practices to enhance poultry health and reduce disease prevalence within broiler farms