Pathogenesis: Infection results from ingestion of infective oocysts. Oocysts enter the environment in the feces of an infected host, but oocysts of Eimeria and Isospora are unsporulated and therefore not infective when passed in the feces.
What pathogen causes coccidiosis?
Coccidiosis is caused by protozoa of the phylum Apicomplexa, family Eimeriidae. In poultry, most species belong to the genus Eimeria and infect various sites in the intestine.
What is the mode of transmission of coccidiosis?
Transmission: Coccidiosis is transmitted from animal to animal by the fecal–oral route. Infected fecal material can contaminate feed, water or soil; therefore, cattle can contract the disease by eating and drinking from contaminated sources, or by licking itself or other animals.
What are the effects of coccidiosis?
Clinical signs of coccidiosis are due to destruction of the intestinal epithelium and, frequently, the underlying connective tissue of the mucosa. This may be accompanied by hemorrhage into the lumen of the intestine, catarrhal inflammation, and diarrhea.
What are the types of coccidiosis?
Species-Specific Parasites Each type of coccidia infects only one species of livestock – each is “species-specific.” There are seven different Eimeria that infect chickens, but only three cause most of the trouble in the U.S.: Eimeria tenella, Eimeria maxima, and Eimeria acervulina.
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