Coccidiosis Trends In Europe

Wim Schelstraete

Harnessing cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights, Aviapp®, the broiler performance platform from Huvepharma, assists with the challenges of managing today's broiler businesses.

Aviapp® empowers you to independently enter and manage data while remaining in control of the information. This integral aspect of Aviapp® enables benchmarking and trending against credible and more objective data. Currently, Aviapp® is recognised and used by many of the world's leading broiler businesses. The app's unique properties empower the user to generate insights, benchmark against industry standards and identify emerging challenges.

One such challenge remains, coccidiosis. 

Although coccidiosis is a dinosaur in broiler production, it remains a big challenge resulting in suboptimal performance and associated estimated annual losses of around €10 billion. Trend analysis with Aviapp® has shown that we are facing increasing coccidiosis pressure in several European countries. How can we change the tide?

 

Data

Over 15,000 flocks and 90,000 individual lesion scores were collected from four different European countries (Table 1) and used to produce this report, extending over a period of 3.5 years.

 

Table 1. Overview of the lesion score data collected from four European countries

 

Trends in coccidiosis: Total mean lesion score

The data shows that: 

  1. Average lesion scores in Belgium have been consistently increasing since 2022.
  2. The upward lesion score trend in France stabilised in spring 2022.
  3. Lesion scores in Spain remained stable but with noticeable seasonality.
  4. The United Kingdom showed a remarkable decrease in lesion scores since spring 2022 but there was an increase again in 2024.

Total mean lesion score (TMLS) is a general measure used to evaluate coccidiosis pressure. It is the sum of the three most important Eimeria spp. in broiler production. Trend analysis in four different countries, Belgium, France, Spain and the United Kingdom, revealed a relatively stable coccidiosis pressure with periods of higher pressure, such as the spring of 2022. The exception to this was Belgium which was at an historic low in 2022 followed by a steady increase (Figure 1). 

 

Figure 1. Total mean lesion score in four different European countries from 2021 to 2024

 

Although the TMLS is a good indication of total coccidiosis pressure, it can hide interesting trends. In the following section, a deeper dive was done to analyse the lesion scores for E. acervulinaE. maxima and E. tenella

 

Trends in E. acervulina

Figure 2 illustrates the following insights:

  1. Data from Belgium showed a consistent increase in E. acervulina lesion scores.
  2. Data from France displayed a slight increase in E. acervulina lesion scores between 2021 and 2022 and stabilised thereafter.
  3. The E. acervulina lesion score data from Spain was stable, but a strong seasonality was noticed.
  4. The United Kingdom showed a steep increase in E. acervulina lesion scores since the beginning 2024.

 

Figure 2. Average E. acervulina lesion scores in four European countries from 2021 to 2024

 

Trends in E. maxima

Figure 3 illustrates the insights associated with E. maxima

  1. The E. maxima pressure in Belgium dipped in 2022, but has risen since then.
  2. The E. maxima pressure in France showed an increase until the beginning of 2023 followed by a decline.
  3. The data from Spain showed a long-term decrease in E. maxima pressure.
  4. The United Kingdom showed an absolute peak in the spring of 2022 with a consistent decrease thereafter.

 

Figure 3. Average E. maxima lesion scores in four European countries from 2021 to 2024

 

Trends in E. tenella

Figure 4 illustrates the insights relating to E. tenella lesion scores:

  1. In Belgium, there was a similar pattern for E. tenella as there was for E. maxima, with a dip in 2022 but a subsequent rise.
  2. In France there was a consistent decrease in the E. tenella pressure.
  3. In Spain, there was stable E. tenella pressure with big seasonality.
  4. The pressure of E. tenella in the UK follows that of E. maxima, yet the absolute peak occurred in the summer of 2022 (compared to the spring of the same year for E. maxima).

 

Figure 4. Average E. tenella lesion scores in four European countries from 2021 to 2024

 

Discussion

It is undeniable, no matter where you live, that in recent years fluctuations in climate have become more pronounced and these have had a direct impact on coccidiosis pressure. In general, wetter conditions favour coccidiosis while drier conditions offer some relief. For Belgium, this can in part explain why there has been an increase in pressure since 2021. However, blaming weather conditions alone would be too simple as multiple factors contribute to coccidiosis pressure.

In addition to proper management, disinfection protocols, down time, and biosecurity measures, one of the best strategies against increasing coccidiosis pressure is the rotation of the coccidiostat control product. Each of the countries included in this analysis were selected as they have marked differences in their high-level strategies in terms of coccidiosis control programmes. A clear example of this is Spain. Each year, during the summer, most Spanish integrators change to a vaccination programme. Although this does not immediately show up as a reduction in pressure, the months following the vaccine administration show a general improvement in coccidiosis control, as seen in the big drops in the lesion scores after the summer.

A rotation strategy, i.e., changing the coccidiostat programme at least twice a year, is used in France and Spain. Although in France there were some periods of increase for E. acervulina and E. maxima lesion scores, in general, the trend has been stable or decreasing since 2023. In both countries, E. tenella consistently decreased.

Countries on the other side of the spectrum are Belgium and the United Kingdom. In both countries, most producers do not apply a rotation in coccidiostats. Under normal conditions, such a strategy can work, but in more challenging times, this strategy can break as seen for E. acervulina lesions in both countries.

For the United Kingdom however, there is more to the story. Prior to 2022, a pressure build up was seen in E. maxima and E. tenella lesion scores. In 2022, a clear breakpoint can be identified and similarly to Spain, in the spring of 2022, producers rotated to a different control programme. As with all rotations, the effect was not seen immediately, but after a few cycles, most commonly two or three. For E. acervulina this was less noticeable as the lesion scores were already high in normal conditions, but the effect was clearly seen for E. maxima and E. tenella.

 

Summary

This article explores the evolving trends across four distinct European countries, delving into the unique differences that set them apart. In brief:

  • Changing climate conditions make coccidiosis control more challenging.
  • Different countries show different trends in association with the control strategy.
  • Adaption is key to control: rotation can help combat the pressure increase.

While overarching trends highlight significant strategic disparities, it is clear that customised solutions are essential for specific production needs. With Aviapp®, you can harness insights and make evidence-driven decisions, enabling you to develop tailored solutions that meet the unique challenges of your operations.