Eimeria Infections in Ruminant Livestock
Summary
Eimeria spp. are protozoan parasites that infect the intestinal tracts of cattle, sheep and goats, often causing the disease coccidiosis. Infection occurs when animals ingest sporulated oocysts shed in faeces; these oocysts release sporozoites that invade intestinal cells, leading to diarrhoea, weight loss and, in severe cases, mortality. Young ruminants are particularly susceptible, as their immune systems are not fully developed. Economic losses arise from reduced growth rates, increased veterinary costs and occasional herd‐level outbreaks. Control strategies combine good hygiene and husbandry practices—such as pasture rotation, avoidance of overcrowding and proper sanitation—with the judicious use of anticoccidial drugs. Emerging concerns include drug resistance, variable species pathogenicity and regional environmental factors that influence oocyst survival. Recent efforts have focused on refining diagnostics—particularly quantitative faecal oocyst counts—improving understanding of seasonal and management‐related risk factors, and exploring vaccine candidates to enhance long‐term protection in livestock populations.
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Eimeria Infections in Ruminant Livestock publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in eimeria infections in ruminant livestock across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Oocyst: A resistant, infective stage of Eimeria shed in faeces, requiring sporulation to become transmissible.
Prepatent period: Time interval between ingestion of infective oocysts and the appearance of new oocysts in faeces.
Faecal oocyst count: Quantitative measure of oocysts per gram of faeces, indicating infection intensity.
Anticoccidial: A drug used to prevent or treat coccidiosis by targeting Eimeria developmental stages.
References
- Prevalence and risk factors associated with gastrointestinal parasites in goats (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries) from three provinces of China. Frontiers in Microbiology (2023).
- Dynamics of protozoal excretion in the faeces of calves during the first 28 days after arrival at the fattening farm indicate infection before regrouping and show poor temporal correlation with diarrhoea. Parasites & Vectors (2023).
- A 10-Year Surveillance of Eimeria spp. in Cattle and Buffaloes in a Mediterranean Area. Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2020).
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