Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread zoonotic protozoan that infects most species of mammals and birds, including poultry. This study aimed to investigate the course of T. gondii infection and the efficacy of diclazuril and Artemisia annua in preventing infection in experimentally infected chickens. Seventy-five 1-month-old chickens, female and male, were randomly divided into five groups (n = 15 each) as follows: (1) uninfected untreated (negative control, NC); (2) infected with T. gondii genotype II/III isolated from a wild cat (group WC); (3) infected with T. gondii genotype II isolated from a domestic cat (group DC); (4) infected with T. gondii domestic cat strain and treated with the anticoccidial diclazuril (group DC-D); and (5) infected with T. gondii domestic cat strain and treated with the medicinal plant Artemisia annua (group DC-A). Clinical signs, body temperature, mortality rate, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, hematological parameters, and the presence of T. gondii–specific IgY antibodies were recorded in all groups. Five chickens per group were euthanized 28 days post-infection (p.i.) and their brains, hearts, and breast muscle tested for T. gondii by mouse bioassay and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). No clinical signs related to the experimental infection were observed throughout the study period. T. gondii–specific antibodies were detected by day 28 p.i., but not in all infected chickens. Overall, T. gondii DNA was detected (bioassay or tissue digests) in all infected and untreated chickens (10/10), while viable parasite (bioassay) was isolated from 7 out of 10 chickens. The parasite was most frequently identified in the brain (7/10). There were no differences in the T. gondii strains regarding clinical infection and the rate of T. gondii detection in tissues. However, higher antibody titers were obtained in chickens infected with T. gondii WC strain (1:192) comparing with T. gondii DC strain (1:48). A. annua reduced replication of the parasite in 3 out of 5 chickens, while diclazuril did not. In conclusion, broiler chickens were resistant to clinical toxoplasmosis, irrespective of the strain (domestic or wild cat strain). The herb A. annua presented prophylactic efficacy by reduced parasite replication. However, further studies are required aiming at the efficacy of diclazuril and A. annua for the prevention of T. gondii infection in chickens using quantitative analysis methods.

弓形虫是一种广泛的人畜共患的原生动物，可感染大多数种类的哺乳动物和鸟类，包括家禽。本研究旨在探讨T的过程。刚地犬感染以及地克珠利和青蒿对预防实验感染鸡的感染的功效。七十五个1个月大的鸡，女性和男性，随机分成五组（Ñ  =每15）如下：（1）未感染的未处理（阴性对照，NC）; （2）感染Ť。分离自野生猫（WC组）的弓形虫II / III型；（3）感染Ť。贡迪从家猫中分离出的基因型II（DC组）；（4）感染Ť。刚地犬家猫菌株，并用抗球虫药地克珠利治疗（DC-D组）；和（5）感染Ť。刚地猫的家猫菌株，并用药用蒿（DC-A组）处理过。临床体征，体温，死亡率，体重增加，饲料转化率，血液学参数和T的存在。在所有组中均记录了刚地特异性IgY抗体。感染后第28天对每组五只鸡实施安乐死，并对其大脑，心脏和胸肌进行T检验。贡迪通过小鼠生物测定和聚合酶链反应（PCR）。在整个研究期间均未观察到与实验性感染相关的临床体征。Ť。在感染后第28天检测到了刚地特异性抗体，但并非在所有感染的鸡中都检测到。总的来说，T。在所有感染和未处理的鸡（10/10）中都检测到了弓形虫DNA（生物测定法或组织消化物），而从10只鸡中的7只中分离出了活寄生虫（生物测定法）。寄生虫最常在大脑中发现（7/10）。有在无差异弓形虫株有关临床感染的速度牛逼。贡迪组织中的检测。但是，在感染了T的鸡中获得了更高的抗体滴度。刚地WC菌株（1：192）与T比较。刚地直流应变（1:48）。一。在5只鸡中，有3只的年金减少了寄生虫的复制，而地克珠利没有。总之，肉鸡对临床弓形虫病具有抵抗力，而与品系（国内或野猫品系）无关。这种草药一个。年青虫通过减少寄生虫的复制表现出预防作用。然而，需要针对地克珠利和A的功效进行进一步的研究。年金预防Ť。用定量分析方法对鸡进行刚地感染。