Comparative study of Eimeria species cause sub - clinical coccidiosis in back - yard chickens of Ahvaz city with parasitological and molecular procedures

The aim of present study was molecular determination of Eimeria species cause subclinicalcoccidiosis in back-yard chickens of Ahvaz with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)and parasitological procedures and comparison of PCR with traditional parasitologicprocedures. For this reason, one hundred and three back-yard chickens were bought fromAhvaz bazaar then euthanized. After isolation of oocysts from infected birds morphologic and morphometric procedures and also PCR were applied. Results revealed that sixty threechickens (61.1%) infected with Eimeria. E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. brunetti and E. mitiswere detected by PCR, however oocysts with E. praecox criteria were also distinguished by morphologic and morphometric examinations. Except for E. maxima, PCR and traditionalbiometrical diagnosis showed poor agreement for discrimination of Eimeria species inchickens. K values for detecting each species were 0.27, 0.38, 0.45 and 0.76 for E. mitis, E. acervulina, E. brunetti and E. maxima, respectively. The present study revealed that PCR can apply as an accurate diagnostic tool for Eimeria species compare with traditional parasitologic procedures and in the absence of molecular methods, parasitological procedures may lead to confusing results.