As the seminar’s first technical speaker, Dr Vasil Stanev delivered a direct warning to poultry producers: relying on a single product is an open invitation to resistance. His core point was that modern coccidiosis control is no longer “medication-only” and must be built as a whole-system strategy.

Stanev described coccidiosis as an economic burden not limited to mortality. He stressed the hidden cost structure: growth setbacks, poorer feed conversion, and weakened immunity, all of which can quietly erode margins. Because infection pressure and farm conditions differ, he argued that control programs must be custom-designed to each production reality.

In his framework, successful control requires combining multiple levers: vaccination, anticoccidials, management practices, and nutrition strategy. He noted vaccination’s value in building immunity, particularly in longer-lived flocks and antibiotic-free production models, where sustainable pressure management becomes critical.

On anticoccidials, Stanev outlined that ionophores and chemical products can be highly effective when used correctly, but misuse and long-term repetition accelerate resistance. He pointed to rotation and shuttle programs as essential tools to preserve efficacy and reduce resistance risk by alternating products with different modes of action. He also cautioned that certain actives, such as nicarbazin, may increase sensitivity to heat stress, meaning program design must consider environmental conditions, not only pathogen control.

In a later interview after the seminar, Stanev took an even more strategic stance: coccidiosis has been known for around 130 years, and in today’s dense production systems it is not realistic to “eradicate” it. The goal is controlled management, requiring continuity, field discipline, and ongoing analysis. He agreed with the view that new anticoccidial molecules are unlikely to arrive soon, describing R&D as long, costly, and risky, with resistance always a possibility.

He closed with five pillars for sustainable control: correct use of specific tools, supportive non-specific measures, strong hygiene and environment management, acceptance that specific products remain necessary, and clear understanding of both the strengths and limits of vaccines and anticoccidials.