Preliminary survey of in-feed mycotoxin contamination and Eimeria infection co-occurrence in Nigerian chicken farms: implications for disease control and food safety

Mycotoxins in poultry feed may act synergistically with Eimeria infections, leading to increased severity of coccidiosis and mycotoxicosis, thereby compromising effective disease control and food safety. Field-based data on the dynamics of their co-occurrence however remain limited. This study provides baseline data on the prevalence and associated risk factors of Eimeria parasites and in-feed mycotoxigenic fungi co-occurrence on commercial poultry farms in Lagos, Nigeria. Pooled faeces/litter and composite feed samples were collected from 126 chicken farms located in four poultry settlements. Eimeria oocysts were detected using the salt floatation method and classified into three size categories corresponding to the ten recognized Eimeria species of chickens. Feed samples were cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar, and pure isolates were obtained and characterized based on macroscopic and microscopic features. Farm management, biosecurity, and feeding practices were assessed using semi-structured questionnaires. Eimeria parasites and mycotoxigenic fungi occurred concurrently in 23/126 (18.3%) farms and did not vary across settlements (P > 0.05). Farms positive for small-sized oocysts showed a strong association with mycotoxigenic fungi contamination (P < 0.001). Most farms with Fusarium-contaminated feed were also positive for Eimeria oocysts (P < 0.01). High-Performance Liquid Chromatography revealed four Aflatoxin classes (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2) in at least 60% of the Aspergillus-contaminated feed samples. Co-occurrence was significantly higher in broiler farms (5/10, 50%) compared with layer farms (18/116, 15.5%) (P < 0.01) but did not differ between farms using manufactured versus self-compounded feed (P > 0.05). Wet feeding troughs (OR: 80.1, P < 0.05) and the presence of flies or insects (OR: 9.1, P < 0.05) were significant predictors of co-occurrence. Further research is needed to characterize the risks of coccidiosis and mycotoxicosis co-occurrence to poultry, public, and environmental health from a One Health perspective.