Impact ofEimeria tenellaCoinfection onCampylobacter jejuniColonization of the Chicken
ABSTRACTEimeria tenellacan cause the disease coccidiosis in chickens. The direct and often detrimental impact of this parasite on chicken health, welfare, and productivity is well recognized; however, less is known about the secondary effects that infection may have on other gut pathogens.Campylobacter jejuniis the leading cause of human bacterial foodborne disease in many countries and has been demonstrated to exert negative effects on poultry welfare and production in some broiler lines. Previous studies have shown that concurrentEimeriainfection can influence the colonization and replication of bacteria, such asClostridium perfringensandSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium. Through a series ofin vivocoinfection experiments, this study evaluated the impact thatE. tenellainfection had onC. jejunicolonization of chickens, including the influence of variations in parasite dose and sampling time after bacterial challenge. Coinfection withE. tenellaresulted in a significant increase inC. jejunicolonization in the cecum in a parasite dose-dependent manner but a significant decrease inC. jejunicolonization in the spleen and liver of chickens. The results were reproducible at 3 and 10 days after bacterial infection. This work highlights thatE. tenellanot only has a direct impact on the health and well-being of chickens but can have secondary effects on important zoonotic pathogens.