Control of avian coccidiosis: Present and future strategies for natural alternatives of therapeutics

Avian coccidiosis has great economic impacts on poultry enterprise. coccidiosis is caused by eimeria species mostly affecting epithelium of the birds intestines causing enteric problems. prominent clinical outcomes are bloody diarrhoea,poor fcr,weight gain and growth rate with high morbidity and mortality rate. for the control of coccidiosis various strategies have been adapted including chemical agents and feed additives. but due to their repeated use,drug resistance to eimeria species emerged thus badly affecting their efficacy. moreover,these chemical agents have adverse effects on birds health and meat quality. therefore,alternatives are used nowadays including natural and herbal products having the desired efficacy without harmful effects. natural products and their anticoccidial activity have been reviewed in this study. this group comprises herbal extracts,fatty acids,fungal extracts,probiotics and immune response immunomodulators with proven anticoccidial activity. additionally,poultry industry and economic cost of coccidiosis as well as classical strategies used in the control of avian coccidiosis are also reviewed.