Development of DNA Probes for Detection and Management of Coccidiosis in Poultry

Coccidiosis is one of the most important diseases of poultry worldwide. Estimates of the cost to U.S. chicken production alone exceed $350 million dollars annually. Since coccidia-free environments are unattainable in poultry houses it would be beneficial to identify the levels and species of Eimeria present so that severe infection, impaired feed conversion and production losses can be minimized. This Phase I research plan proposed here will assess the feasibility of improving coccidiosis management through tests which combine the use of genus and species specific DNA detection to evaluate the level of infection in a flock via quantitative detection of Eimeria oocysts in fecal samples. Chromagen's proprietary signal amplification technologies will be applied to the synthesis of highly fluorescent DNA probes which hybridize readily and specifically to their respective target sequences. In addition, the sensitivity of time-resolved fluorescence will be utilized to make the assay effective for detection of Eimeria. The Phase I effort will be divided into five areas of investigation: (i) development of procedures for sample collection and reproducible isolation of oocysts from fecal samples; (ii) quantitative extraction of sporozoite DNA; (iii) probe development; (iv) evaluation of the hybridization assay for sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility, and (v) instrumented detection and data management.