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Comparison of Dietary Monensin, Nitarsone, or Natustat for Control of Cochlosoma anatis, an Intestinal Protozoan Parasite, During Coccidial Infection in Turkeys

C. F. Duffy^*, M. D. Sims and R. F. Power

^* Alltech Ireland Ltd., Sarney, Summerhill Road, Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland
Virginia Diversified Research Corporation, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801
Alltech Biotechnology Center, 3031 Catnip Hill Pike, Nicholasville, Kentucky 40356

Correspondence: C. F. Duffy, E-mail: cduffy{at}alltech.com

An emerging turkey problem involves poor performance, reduced BW, increased feed conversion ratios (FCR), and enteritis caused by the flagellated protozoan Cochlosoma anatis. A 21-d litter pen trial evaluated the effects of dietary Monensin, Nitarsone, and Natustat using female poults given a coccidial challenge (5 cm of new litter topped with 2.5 cm of used litter with Eimeria oocysts present) and C. anatis inoculation (individual dosing at d 14). The treatments were as follows: unchallenged, control (CON); challenged, control (cCON); challenged, Nitarsone (cNIT) at 0.1875 kg/tonne; challenged, Monensin (cMON) at 0.0794 kg/tonne; challenged, Natustat (cNAT) at 1.925 kg/tonne. The average weight was 55 g at placement, and stocking density was 0.074 m²/bird. On d 14, birds assigned to the challenged groups were administered 2 x 10⁶ Cochlosoma organisms suspended in PBS. This liquid preparation was administered to each turkey in the challenge pens by oral gavage. Intestinal scrapings from challenged turkeys were observed microscopically and found positive for both Eimeria and Cochlosoma organisms. No coccidia oocysts or Cochlosoma organisms were observed in the samples from the unchallenged turkeys. Body weight decreased, and mortality-adjusted FCR and intestinal lesion scores increased with dual infections (cCON vs. CON; P < 0.05). Monensin, Nitarsone, and Natustat were statistically equivalent for improving performance and reducing intestinal lesion severity.

Key Words: Cochlosoma anatis • Natustat • Monensin • Nitarsone • turkey