**6. Coccidiosis**

#### **6.1 Etiology**

Coccidiosis is a protozoan parasitic (genus Eimeria) disease that cause diarrhea in calves, lambs and kids (Radostits et al., 2008).

There are 12 species of Eimeria in cattle but all of them may not be pathogenic ( Table 5).

The species that identified in sheep and goats is shown in table 6 and table 7.


Table 5. Eimeris species identified in cattle.


Table 6. Eimeris species identified in sheep.

Congenitally infected cows are at high risk for abortion thus seropositive animals should be

Coccidiosis is a protozoan parasitic (genus Eimeria) disease that cause diarrhea in calves,

There are 12 species of Eimeria in cattle but all of them may not be pathogenic ( Table 5).

The species that identified in sheep and goats is shown in table 6 and table 7.

E. zuernii Small and large intestine Cattle, zebu, water buffalo E. bovis Small and large intestine Cattle, zebu, water buffalo E. auburnensis Small intestin Domestic cattle, zebu, buffalo

E. bukidnonensis unknown Domestic cattle, zebu, buffalo E. cylindrica unknown Domestic cattle, zebu, buffalo

E. subspherica unknown Domestic cattle, zebu, water buffalo

E. crandallis Small and large intestine Rocky Mountain big-horn sheep, domestic

E. ahsata Small intestine Domestic sheep, Rocky Mountain big-horn

E. ovinoidalis Small and large intestine Domestic sheep, big-horn sheep, moufflon

E. parva Small and large intestine Domestic sheep, Rocky Mountain big-horn

E. granulosa unknown Domestic sheep, Rocky Mountain big-horn

E. faurei Small and large intestine Sheep, Rocky Mountain big-horn sheep E. intricata Small and large intestine Domestic sheep, Rocky Mountain big-horn

sheep, moufflon

sheep, moufflon

sheep, Barbary sheep

sheep

sheep

E. alabamensis Small and large intestine Domestic cattle, zebu

E. canadensis unknown Domestic cattle, zebu E. ellipsoidalis Small intestine Domestic cattle, zebu

E. wyomingensis unknown Cattle, zebu, water buffalo E. brasiliensis unknown Cattle, zebu, water buffalo

culling from a herd (Taylor et al., 2007; Radostits et al., 2008).

**Specie Affinity site Hosts** 

E. pellita unknown Bovine

**Specie Affinity site Hosts** 

E. pallida unknown Domestic sheep

E. marsica unknown Domestic sheep E. bakuensis Small intestine Domestic sheep E. weybridgensis Small intestine Domestic sheep

Table 5. Eimeris species identified in cattle.

Table 6. Eimeris species identified in sheep.

**6. Coccidiosis** 

lambs and kids (Radostits et al., 2008).

**6.1 Etiology** 


Table 7. Eimeris species identified in goats.

Fig. 5. Eimeria spp. sporulated oocyst, calve, 40X

Protozoan Diseases in Farm Ruminants 487

Coccidiosis occurs universally in young animals normally in calves between 3 weeks and 6 months of age and caused important economic losses but also has been reported in cattle aged 1 year or more (Radostits et al., 2008; Ballweber, 2009). The disease occur in animals that kept in crowded and contaminated pens. The prevalence in calves is 46%, in yearling is 43% and in adult cows is 16% (Radostits et al., 2008). Eimeria zuernii is the most pathogenic

In Turkey the most prevalent species are E. bovis (17.6-58.5%), E. zuernii (12.7-47.3%). E. auburnensis (4.5-64.7%) and E. canadensis (4.1-64.7%) (Ozer and Saki, 2001). The prevalence

Coccidiosis in sheep and goats is caused by protozoa of the genus Eimeria. Coccidiosis is one of the most common, important and higher infection rates disease in lambs and kids

 In Turkey, the identified species in sheep are E. ahsata, E. bakuensis, E. crandallis, E. granulosa, E. intricata, E. marsica, E. ovinoidalis, E. pallida, E. parva, E. punctata and E. weybridgensis and in goats are E. arloingi, E. christenseni, E. alijevi, E. hicri, E. caprina, E. caprovina, E. jolchijevi, E. apsheronica, E. crandallis, E. fauri, E. granulosa, E.

The pathogenesis of the disease is dependent on the destroy of the crypt cells of the intestinal mucosa because in the ruminant small intestine is very long and providing a high number of host cells and is a potential for parasite replication with minimal damage. Some E. species that invade the large intestin, cause pathological changes, specially when large

In healthy nonimmune animals when number oocysts ingested is low, the animals show no clinical signs of disease but in many oocysts condition, rupture and exfoliation of intestinal cells triggers intestin function and causes loss of blood, fluid, albumin and electrolytes into the intestin. Disaster of mucosal capillaries of intestin can cause to hypoproteinemia and

In most clinical cases the temperature is normal or subnormal. Disaster of epithelial cells of intestine cause sometimes bloody diarrhea. Dehydration may occur but anemia occasionally may be seen. In severe infections, diarrhea which may be mucoid or bloody, tenesmus, abdominal pain, anorexia, dehydration and weight loss are the common clinical signs in

In the calves that infected with high number of oocysts may developed dysentery. Clinical

of infection in calves 60-90% have been reported in Tuekey (Arslan and Sari, 2010).

that kept in small areas contaminated with oocysts (Radostits et al., 2008).

ninakohlyakimovae, E. pallida, E. parva and E. punctata (Arslan and Sari, 2010).

numbers of oocysts are ingested in a short period of time (Taylor et al., 2007).

anemia. Secondary bacterial infection may cause severe enteritis(Ballweber, 2009)

species that causing haemorrhagic diarrhoea (Taylor et al., 2007).

**6.2 Epidemiology** 

**6.3 Pathogenesis** 

**6.4 Clinical findings** 

coccidiosis (Radostits et al., 2008; Ballweber, 2009).

coccidiosis occurs rarely in adult cattle (Radostits et al., 2008).

**6.2.1 Bovine coccidiosis** 

**6.2.2 Sheep and goats coccidiosis** 

Fig. 6**.** Eimeria spp. sporulated oocyst, lamb, 40X

Fig. 7. Eimeria spp. sporulated oocyst, kid, 40X

#### **6.2 Epidemiology**

486 A Bird's-Eye View of Veterinary Medicine

Fig. 6**.** Eimeria spp. sporulated oocyst, lamb, 40X

Fig. 7. Eimeria spp. sporulated oocyst, kid, 40X

#### **6.2.1 Bovine coccidiosis**

Coccidiosis occurs universally in young animals normally in calves between 3 weeks and 6 months of age and caused important economic losses but also has been reported in cattle aged 1 year or more (Radostits et al., 2008; Ballweber, 2009). The disease occur in animals that kept in crowded and contaminated pens. The prevalence in calves is 46%, in yearling is 43% and in adult cows is 16% (Radostits et al., 2008). Eimeria zuernii is the most pathogenic species that causing haemorrhagic diarrhoea (Taylor et al., 2007).

In Turkey the most prevalent species are E. bovis (17.6-58.5%), E. zuernii (12.7-47.3%). E. auburnensis (4.5-64.7%) and E. canadensis (4.1-64.7%) (Ozer and Saki, 2001). The prevalence of infection in calves 60-90% have been reported in Tuekey (Arslan and Sari, 2010).
