Effect of Infectious Bursal Disease on the Severity of Eimeria tenella Infections in Broiler Chicks

A study was initiated to determine whether prior exposure to infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) influenced the susceptibility of young broiler chicks to Eimeria tentella infections. When one-day-old chicks infected with IBDV were subsequently challenged with E. tenella at 7 days of age, they suffered significantly higher mortality and lesion scores than their hatchmates which were not exposed to IBDV. Initial exposure to IBDV also had an effect on the development of E. tenella induced hemorrhaging. Hemorrhaging commenced late on the third day following E. tenella inoculation in chicks infected with both IBDV and E. tenella, while bleeding did not occur in the E. tenella alone group until late on the fourth day post-coccidial challenge. No significant differences in weight gains at 7 or 14 days after E. tenella infection were observed between chicks receiving the double infection and those given only E. tenella.