Effect of ZnO nanoparticles in treatment of broilers with Eimeria tenella. experimentally infected.

Abstract Coccidiosis is one of the common poultry diseases in Iraq and the world, which causes great economic losses. Therefore, this study aimed to use a new treatment represented by nanoparticles of zinc oxide and compare it with the drug (Amprolium). The Oocysts of Eimeria tenella were isolated from the feces of the briolers received at the Veterinary hospital in Diwaniyah Province and initially diagnosed by compound light microscopy,Then it was confirmed molecularly by PCR technique using the internal transcribed space ITS1 gene with a molecular weight of 409bp. The experiment was carried out on 120 birds of broilers, as the animals were divided into 6 groups with 20 birds per group. The first group(G1) was left as a negative control(uninfected), the second group(G2) was inoculated with 50,000 mature Oocysts and left as a positive control group,the third group(G3) was incubated with 50,000 Oocysts + Amprolium (anticoccidial), the fourth, fifth and sixth groups(G4,G5,G6) were also dosed with 50,000 Oocysts followed by an oral dose of nanoparticles of zinc oxide at a concentration of 20,40,60 mg/kg for each of fourth, fifth and sixth groups respectively. The current results showed that the briolers in G2 suffered from severe disease symptoms and high mortality occurred in the first week of infection, amounting to %10 compared to the anticoccidial (Amprolium group and the groups treated with nanoconcentrations 20,40,60 mg/kg respectively.G6 which was dosed with a concentration of 60 mg /kg, showed a significant decrease in the number of Oocysts excreted compared with the positive control group and the anticoccidial group, in addition to the appearance of mild symptoms and a mortality rate of %0.8,While there was a decrease in the number of Oocysts excreted during the second week in the anticoccidial group and the treated groups with the three nanoconcentrations with a decrease in the mortality rates of birds .The number of Oocysts excreted in the litter significantly decreased in the treated group with a concentration of 60 mg/kg compared to all other groups, and all birds of this group recovered during the second week of infection.