ANTICOCCIDIAL VACCINES - REVIEW AND PROSP ECTS

Coccidioses are a major problem for the poultry industry. Currently, t he diseases are controlled by drug chemoprevention, but the developmen t of chemoresistant strains has for several years incited investigator s to search for a vaccine. Several methods were investigated: oocyst a dministration at low and controlled doses, administration of strains w hich had been attenuated by physical or biochemical means, immunizatio n with extracted or recombinant antigens. For some years to come genet ically selected precocious live strains of Eimeria which are now comme rcially available will be useful as vaccines; but in the future, genet ically engineered antigens will provide new opportunities for a succes sful vaccination.