Effects of Simple and Disposable Chicken Cages for Experimental Eimeria Infections.
10.3347/kjp.2011.49.3.299
- Author:
Jeongmi YOO
1
;
Sung H KANG
;
Jipseol JEONG
;
Woo H KIM
;
Suk KIM
;
Hyun S LILLEHOJ
;
Wongi MIN
Author Information
1. College of Veterinary Medicine & Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, Korea. wongimin@gnu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Brief Communication ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Eimeria maxima;
disposable cage;
chickens;
cardboard
- MeSH:
Animals;
Chickens;
Coccidiosis/transmission/*veterinary;
Disposable Equipment/*utilization;
Eimeria/*isolation & purification;
*Environmental Microbiology
- From:The Korean Journal of Parasitology
2011;49(3):299-302
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
During experimental Eimeria infections in chickens, facilities are often contaminated by fecal oocysts known to be highly resistant to both chemical and enzymatic treatments. Thus, studies using experimental Eimeria infections have been limited due to the difficulty of complete elimination of residual oocysts from both cages and facilities. To overcome this limitation, simple, inexpensive, and disposable cages were constructed from cardboard boxes and tested during experimental Eimeria maxima infections. The cages were used in animal rooms with only a 1.7% evidence of coccidia contamination between adjacent cages. No significant differences in fecal oocyst output and body weight gain were noted between animals housed in disposable cages and animals housed in wire control cages. This cage design is a useful means for preventing oocyst contamination during experimental conditions, suggesting that this disposable cage design could be used for other avian infectious disease studies.
