Effect of immunization with an Eimeria meleagrimitis isolated from a wild turkey and amprolium intervention on the ileal and cecal microbiome of turkey poults

Anticoccidial drugs have been historically used to control coccidiosis in commercial turkey flocks. Live coccidiosis vaccines have recently been more widely utilized likely due to resistance to available anticoccidial drugs, and pan-resistance in some cases. Live coccidiosis vaccines that contain drug-senstive Eimeria spp. can be used to displace the resistant phenotype in the barn. Additionally, intermittent use of amprolium, a synthetic anticoccidial drug that can be applied via the drinking water or feed, can be used in a bioshuttle approach to attenuate oocyst shedding during the second vaccine cycle. Previously, we assessed the impact of E. meleagrimitis vaccination and/or challenge and intermittent amprolium application on the ileal and cecal microbiome in poults at 30 d-of-age. Since there is limited information on the effects of Eimeria vaccine cycling on the gut microbiome of turkey poults, the purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of these parameters on the ileal and cecal luminal microbiome composition during vaccine cycling (d6 and d15) and at termination (d30). The current study was also a more comprehensive evaluation on individual fecal OPG and litter OPG over the trial period