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  Live Vaccines for Three Species of Eimeria quantity

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This publication describes the outcomes of Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
project No DAQ-259J “Attenuation and characterisation of Eimeria spp for use in a living vaccine for
avian coccidiosis (Stage 3).”
The previous two stages of this series of projects (DAQ-29CM/25E and DAQ-215J) have been
successfully completed. The main aim of those projects was to develop precocious lines of E.
maxima, E. acervulina, E. tenella and E. necatrix suitable for use in a live poultry coccidiosis vaccine.
The current and final project reported upon herein had the aim of developing vaccines against the
remaining three Eimeria species present in Australia, these being E. mitis, E. brunetti and E. praecox.
The objectives of the project were to attenuate two strains of each species by selecting for precocious
development and to characterise the candidate vaccine lines in terms of drug sensitivity, reproductive
potential, pathogenicity and protection against homologous and heterologous challenge. The project
team successfully achieved the aim of the project and also evaluated a trial procedure to assess
resistance to in-feed coccidiostats in field isolates.
A productive and highly cooperative working relationship has developed between researchers at DPI
and the commercial partners in this work, Eimeria Pty Ltd (identified at the beginning of the Stage 2
project). The DPI team have been undertaking additional contract trial work to facilitate the vaccine
registration process. The vaccine strains developed and characterised in the earlier two projects are in
the final stages of registration in Australia and will be available for unlimited use in 2003.
The final outcome of the three stages of the project series will be the availability, to the Australian
poultry industry, of live vaccines against the seven species of Eimeria that cause poultry coccidiosis.
Vaccination is now being used routinely to protect flocks in the USA and in some European countries
including Britain. The benefits of using live coccidiosis vaccines include long term, economical
protection against disease, ability to manage existing and developing chemical resistance, and
provision of an alternative to chemical control to minimise residue and withholding period problems.
This project was funded from industry revenue which is matched by funds provided by the Australian
Government.
This report, a new addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 1000 research publications, forms part
of our Chicken Meat R&D Program, which aims to support increased sustainability and profitability in
the chicken meat industry by focusing research and development on those areas that will enable the
industry to become more efficient and globally competitive and that will assist in the development of
good industry and product images. This has been done in conjunction of the Australian Egg
Corporation, which aims to support improved efficiency, sustainability, product quality, education and
technology transfer in the Australian egg industry.