COCCI News

Product updates and industry trends

Schering-Plough Animal Health has named Rick Phillips, DVM, director of global poultry technical services. He replaces Michael Schwartz, DVM, who is retiring in May after 36 years with the company.

In his new role, Phillips will be responsible for managing global technical services programs to support the company's expanding poultry product line, which includes Coccivac and Paracox, the world's leading coccidiosis vaccines.

Phillips joined Schering- Plough Animal Health in May 2001 as poultry technical services manager. Earlier in his career, he held various technical services and operations positions for Foster Farms, Delhi, Calif., and Perdue Farms, Salisbury, Md.

Phillips has a DVM from Louisiana State University and a Masters in Avian Medicine from the University of Georgia.

EU Bans Six Coccidiostats

A changing regulatory environment in Europe may steer even more poultry producers in the direction of coccidiosis vaccination.

The EU Agriculture Council Ministers recently voted to ban the anticoccidials amprolium, amprolium/ ethopabate, dimetridazole, metichlorpindol, metichlorpindol/ methylbenzoquate and nicarbazin.

These products were in the ongoing review of existing approvals, but according to published reports, the manufacturers had not produced the required data in time.

Fitz-Coy to Focus on Coccidiosis

Dr. Steve Fitz-Coy, known throughout the poultry industry for his expertise in coccidiosis, has joined the technical services team of Schering-Plough Animal Health.

Fitz-Coy, who has a Ph.D. in poultry pathology and parasitology from Auburn University, comes to Schering-Plough with more than 20 years of industry experience. Most recently, he was a technical service representative for another pharmaceutical company with a line of coccidiostats.

Fitz-Coy has co-authored more than 30 abstracts and papers on coccidiosis management in poultry. In his new position, Fitz-Coy will provide technical support for Coccivac, Paracox and Clinacox (diclazuril).

Let Us Spray

The new hatchery spray claim in Europe for Paracox-5 has attracted more interest in coccidiosis vaccination, but as in other markets, poultry companies must first install special spray cabinets at their hatcheries to administer the vaccine.

"We presently have Spraycox units in Spain, France, Portugal, Greece and England," says Paul Townsend, Schering-Plough engineer and poultry equipment specialist who's been modifying the cabinet to meet the needs of the EU market.

Coccivac-B Approved in Chile

Coccivac-B, the leading coccidiosis vaccine for broilers in Latin America, was recently approved for use in Chile. Equipment specialists from Schering-Plough Animal Health are now training leading poultry producers to use the Spraycox spray cabinet, which showers day-old chicks with the vaccine.

Coccivac-B, a live oocyst vaccine isolate from chickens and prepared from anticoccidial-sensitive strains of Eimeria acervulina, E. mivati, E. maxima and E. tenella, is already used by major poultry producers in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela.

Worth Repeating

"It's like recruiting for a basketball or a football program at a major university. If you have a reputation for winning, it's a lot easier to attract good people to your program. If you are the best, you'll attract the best."

Michael Schwartz, DVM, retiring director of SPAH poultry technical services, on what it takes to build a winning team in a poultry organization.

Brazilian Poultry Experts Tour U.S. Farms to Gain Insights on Coccidiosis Vaccination

Eight veterinarians, nutritionists and production managers from leading poultry companies in Brazil visited the United States recently to learn more about hatchery spray administration of coccidiosis vaccine.

Alter attending a technical briefing in Atlanta hosted by Schering-Plough Animal Health, the specialists were divided into three groups to tour poultry operations using Coccivac-B "Sanderson Farms and Peco Farms in Mississippi, Gold Kist and Wayne Farms in Alabama, and Gold Kist and Pilgrim's Pride in North Carolina.

"They enjoyed the visits because they could see the success of coccidiosis vaccination in the United States and exchange information with the American companies," says Dr. Fabio Jose Paganini of Schering-Plough's Coopers Brazil subsidiary. The group later reconvened near Miami to discuss their findings and meet with Raul Kohan, president of Schering- Plough Animal Health.

Clinacox OK for US Turkeys

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Clinacox (diclazuril) for use in the feed of growing turkeys.

Clinacox "a synthetic coccidiostat used successfully by the U.S. broiler industry for nearly 2 years "gives turkey growers a new-generation synthetic coccidiostat from a chemical family not previously used in the United States for coccidiosis prevention or control, according to Dr. Lanny Howell, a technical service veterinarian for Schering-Plough Animal Health. "The active ingredient, diclazuril, produces a 'cidal' effect on the major species of Eimeria that are pathogenic to turkeys "specifically E. adenoeides, E. gallopavonis and E. meleagrimitis," he says.

Since being introduced to the U.S. broiler industry in early 2000, Clinacox has proved to be highly effective for cleaning up coccidiosis in problem flocks and reducing or eliminating subclinical challenge. Field trials and customer experience have shown that broiler flocks treated with Clinacox average significant gains in feed conversion and energy efficiency.

"We expect to see similar results in turkeys," Howell says, adding that Schering-Plough Animal Health is pursuing combination clearances with the feed antibiotics used in turkeys.

To preserve the high efficacy of this versatile and safe coccidiostat, Howell strongly recommends limiting the product's usage to one cycle and then rotating to a coccidiosis vaccine such as Coccivac-T, which provides lifetime protection, or to another type of anticoccidial.

Paracox-5 Launched at Tel Aviv Conference

Martine and Shirley

More than 120 independent and government veterinarians as well as growers and nutritionists attended a seminar in Tel Aviv, Israel, for the official launch of Paracox-5.

Dr. Martin Shirley of the U.K.'s Institute for Animal Health, who was involved in the product's development, headlined the conference with a presentation on the evolution of coccidiosis vaccines. (See Shirley's article, page 24.)

Schering-Plough's Dr.Thierry Martine, poultry manager for Africa-Middle East Operations, followed with a summary of data from trials conducted in Europe and Israel.

He also reviewed the product's outstanding first-year performance in Israel.

Rafael Campos Rodriguez, a Schering-Plough consultant from Spain, talked about using Paracox-5 to improve flexibility in feeding programs.

Source: CocciForum Issue No.4, Schering-Plough Animal Health.