Understanding Eimeria infection for the treatment and prevention of chicken coccidian parasites

Globally, coccidiosis is one of the most economically important diseases affecting the poultry industry, and poultry plays a vital role in producing meat and eggs, providing high-quality, relatively inexpensive protein for humans. Due to its high feed efficiency compared to other industrial animals, this industry has gradually expanded worldwide, but its productivity is affected by various dangerous diseases. One of the pathogens is coccidiosis, caused by seven species of Eimeria , which infects the intestines and causes signs such as diarrhea, increased feed conversion rate, reduced egg production, and weight loss, and ultimately has a serious impact on the poultry farms. Anticoccidial drugs remain the first-line treatment for this parasitic disease in poultry farms to this day, and thus the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains raises serious public health and environmental concerns. To reduce economic losses and avoid public health and environmental concerns, a better understanding of the epidemiology, infection mechanisms, host protective immunity, and control strategies of Eimeria species is necessary. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive insight into chicken coccidiosis to effectively treat and prevent Eimeria infection. Effective control of coccidia can also improve the quality and productivity of chicken meat, which plays an important role in human food, and increase economic profits for chicken farms.