Identyfikacja gatunków Eimeria spp. występujących u kur i kurcząt brojlerów na terenie Polski

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of coccidiosis and to identify different species of coccidia that caused coccidiosis in flocks of hens in Poland between 2010 and 2013. The material consisted of digestive tracts of broiler chickens and laying hens from all over Poland. The identification of coccidian species was performed by classical methods (location of pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract and the presence of oocysts in scrapings) and through the isolation and amplification of DNA (PCR). Out of the 139 examined samples from flocks suspected of coccidian infection, the presence of Eimeria spp. was confirmed by anatomopathological investigation, microscopic examination, and PCR in 25 cases, representing 18% of the samples. The most frequently diagnosed species were as follows: E. tenella (64%), E. acervulina (32%), E. maxima (8%), and E. necatrix (4%). Most cases were caused by a single species of coccidia (92%), and in 8% of cases two species of coccidia were found.