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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279496
Title: A simple and efficient method for isolation of a single Eimeria oocyst from poultry litter using a micromanipulator

Author
item YIM, DONGJEAN - Gyeongsang National University
item KANG, SANG - Gyeongsang National University
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item MIN, WONGI - Gyeongsang National University

Submitted to: Research in Veterinary Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2013
Publication Date: 10/22/2013
Citation: Yim, D., Kang, S.S., Lillehoj, H.S., Min, W. 2013. A simple and efficient method for isolation of a single Eimeria oocyst from poultry litter using a micromanipulator. Research in Veterinary Science. 90(2):260-1. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2010.05.035.

Interpretive Summary: Avian coccidiosis is caused by several distinct species of Eimeria protozoa which infect and damage different parts of intestine. Ability to study host response to this parasite is important for the development of effective control strategy against coccidiosis. One of the difficulties to study coccidiosis is the lack of oocyst isolation method to produce pure strains of coccidia since commercial broiler chickens are usually infected with several different species of Eimeria. In this paper, ARS scientists and collaborators at the Gyeongsang National University developed a novel method for isolating a single Eimeria oocyst from poultry litter using a micromanipulator. This simple method is fast and reliable, and provides direct isolation of a single sporulated oocyst from filed samples. This novel method will be a useful tool for basic and applied research in coccidiosis.

Technical Abstract: The chicken, which is the host for seven species of Eimeria, typically is infected simultaneously by multiple Eimeria species and the oocysts of coccidia are excreted in the feces. A prerequisite for investigation of individual Eimeria species is to isolate a single oocyst from fecal samples. A novel method for isolating a single Eimeria oocyst from poultry litter using a micromanipulator was developed. This simple method is fast and reliable, and provides direct isolation of a single sporulated oocyst from fecal samples harboring multiple Eimeria species or samples contaminated by other species of parasite. The present study is simple and important tool for direct isolation of a single sporulated oocyst from samples harboring multiple Eimeria species for scientists.