A simple, one‐tube assay for the simultaneous detection and diagnosis of ten A ustralian poultry E imeria

Coccidiosis is a costly worldwide enteric disease of chickens caused by parasites of the genus E imeria . At present, there are seven described species that occur globally and a further three undescribed, operational taxonomic units ( OTU s X , Y , and Z ) that are known to infect chickens from A ustralia. Species of E imeria have both overlapping morphology and pathology and frequently occur as mixed‐species infections. This makes definitive diagnosis with currently available tests difficult and, to date, there is no test for the detection of the three OTU s. This paper describes the development of a PCR ‐based assay that is capable of detecting all ten species of E imeria , including OTU s X , Y , and Z in field samples. The assay is based on a single set of generic primers that amplifies a single diagnostic fragment from the mitochondrial genome of each species. This one‐tube assay is simple, low‐cost, and has the capacity to be high throughput. It will therefore be of great benefit to the poultry industry for E imeria detection and control, and the confirmation of identity and purity of vaccine strains.