Zoetis Reintroduces Coccidiosis Management Tool

US - Zoetis is reintroducing Zoamix® to help US poultry producers battle coccicidiosis. It is a versatile product can be used in antibiotic-free or conventional production systems, the company says.
calendar icon 24 November 2014
clock icon 3 minute read

Zoetis Inc. has announced the reintroduction of Zoamix (zoalene), a versatile synthetic anticoccidial for the prevention and control of coccidiosis in broilers and turkeys.

“The US poultry industry loses an estimated $600 million a year to coccidiosis, so the return of Zoamix could not be coming at a better time,” said Don Waldrip, DVM, DACPV, a senior technical services veterinarian with Zoetis.

He noted that US poultry producers have not seen a new in-feed anticoccidial in 15 years and concerns remain about existing products becoming less effective over time.

“Having one more anticoccidial to use in a rotation programme – especially one like Zoamix, which has a unique chemical structure – could help preserve the efficacy of other coccidiosis medications,” Dr Waldrip added.

Versatile product

Zoamix is a Type A Medicated Article that can be used safely year-round with no withdrawal. Because it is a synthetic compound, Zoamix is compatible with antibiotic-free or conventional production systems. As with all in-feed anticoccidials, Zoetis recommends resting the medication periodically to maintain good efficacy.

According to Dr Waldrip, Zoamix is unique in that it’s a synthetic compound but works similarly to an ionophore by allowing some cycling of Eimeria, the parasite that causes coccidiosis.

“That cycling, commonly called leakage by poultry producers and veterinarians, allows the development of natural immunity against the disease,” the veterinarian explained.

Dr Waldrip said the arrival of Zoamix would further strengthen Rotecc™ Coccidiosis Management, a science-based initiative Zoetis launched earlier this year to help poultry producers develop more strategic, cost-effective and sustainable programs for battling the costly parasitic disease.

More uses

In addition to preventing and controlling coccidiosis in broilers and turkeys, Zoamix can be used for the development of active immunity against coccidiosis in replacement chickens. Zoamix is also approved for use in combination with BMD® (bacitracin methylene disalicylate), a feed medication used to manage necrotic enteritis in chickens and transmissible enteritis in turkeys.

Formerly produced by Alpharma, Zoamix was used by the US broiler and turkey industries for more than four decades before leaving the market in 2005 due to shortage of a key ingredient. Zoetis later acquired the product, saw the poultry industry’s need for Zoamix, and worked with suppliers to resolve supply issues and relaunch the product.

For more information about Zoamix and Rotecc Coccidiosis Management, poultry veterinarians, nutritionists and producers should contact their Zoetis representative or visit www.ZoetisUS.com/poultry.

Further Reading

Find out more information on coccidiosis by clicking here.

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.