Preliminary Observation on the Efficacy of Livacox Vaccine Against Coccidiosis in Laying Birds in a Backyard Poultry Farm in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

Poultry coccidiosis caused by Eimeria spp. remains a major impediment to poultry farmers causing high economic losses in Nigeria and other parts of the world. It is a protozoal parasitic disease that affects the gut of birds resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Live attenuated vaccines have been developed to confer immunity against coccidiosis in birds. This preliminary study investigates the efficacy of Livacox vaccine against coccidiosis in 1,930 pullets in a backyard poultry farm in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government, Plateau State, Nigeria between April and August 2014. The investigated birds were grouped into two broad categories as vaccinated (950) and unvaccinated (980) based on the farmer’s pattern of rearing. The vaccinated group received single oral dose of livacox vaccine in water, while the unvaccinated group received water only. The observation of clinical signs in sub-clinically sick birds, litter faecal appearance pattern and post mortem lesions in dead birds were monitored and ranked according to the severity. The post mortem gross lesion scores of dead pullets were also determined. Additionally, a review of farm records was carried out to monitor the mortality trend. There was 50% morbidity and 0.13% mortality in the control group. Remarkably, the Livacox vaccinated group showed shorter term morbidity and litter faecal appearance pattern with highly reduced mortality. The mean gross lesion scores was statistically significantly different between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups (P<0.05). The result indicated that the administration of single oral dose of Livacox vaccination at an early stage in a pullet’s life considerably protect against coccidiosis.