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Coccidiosis in Large and Small Ruminants
Coccidiosis in Large and Small Ruminants
S ma ll Rum i n an t s
a, b
Sarah Tammy Nicole Keeton, PhD, MS *, Christine B. Navarre, DVM, MS
KEYWORDS
Coccidia Coccidiosis Diarrhea Ruminants Cattle Sheep Goats
Ionophores
KEY POINTS
Coccidiosis is an important parasitic disease of ruminant livestock caused by the proto-
zoan parasite of the genus Eimeria.
Calves between 6 and 12 months of age and lambs and kids between 1 and 6 months of
age are most susceptible.
Subclinical disease is characterized by poor growth.
Clinical disease is most commonly characterized by diarrhea.
Control of coccidiosis is based on sound management, the use of preventive medications,
and treatment of clinical cases as necessary.
LIFE CYCLE
Table 1
Pathogenic species of Eimeria and site of infestation in cattle, sheep, and goats
Data from Taylor MA, Coop RL, Wall RL. Veterinary parasitology. Fourth edition. Chichester (United
Kingdom): Wiley Blackwell; 2016; and Chartier C, Paraud C. Coccidiosis due to Eimeria in sheep and
goats, a review. Small Ruminant Res 2012;103(1):84–92.
Fig. 1. Eimeria life cycle. (From Javier Garza, PhD, USDA-NIFA Fellow, Parasite Immunology,
Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, West Virginia University, with permission.)
Coccidiosis in Large and Small Ruminants 203
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Coccidia are highly prolific because each sporulated oocyst has the potential to pro-
duce 23 million oocysts during the endogenous phase after just 21 days.6 This ability
leads to high levels of environmental contamination. Sporulated oocysts are resistant
in the environment and can survive for weeks to months, especially in favorable con-
ditions of moderate heat and moisture.7
Buildup of high levels of contamination are most common in areas where animals
congregate or are crowded and feces are more concentrated in the environment.
Feedlots, drylots, and barns are common types of housing associated with coccidi-
osis. It can also be a problem in heavily stocked pastures, especially around watering
and feeding areas.
Healthy ruminants are generally immune to disease by 1 year of age but serve as a
reservoir to younger animals. The magnitude of infection, clinical signs, and oocyte
shedding are affected by the species of Eimeria involved, level of environmental expo-
sure, and animal immunity. Age, other stressors (weaning, weather, transportation,
other diseases, and so forth), nutrition, and genetic susceptibility all contribute to an-
imal immunity and susceptibility to coccidiosis.7,8
Calves are most susceptible to infection between 6 and 12 months of age. Lambs and
kids are susceptible from 1 and 6 months of age, but most clinical disease is seen in
lambs and kids between 4 and 8 weeks of age.9,10
There are subclinical and clinical forms coccidiosis. Subclinical infection can cause
depressed appetite as well as decreased feed efficiency from gut damage, which
leads to poor growth rates and weight gains.10,11
The following clinical signs may be associated with clinical coccidiosis:
Diarrhea
Anorexia
Depression
Weakness
Abdominal pain
Dehydration
Pale mucous membranes
Acute weight loss
Straining to defecate and subsequent rectal prolapse
204 Keeton & Navarre
Diarrhea is the most common clinical sign, and it may be bloody or mucoid. The
severity of disease varies from self-limiting, in which animals recover without treat-
ment, to severe cases, in which animals quickly succumb to the infection and die.8,12
Speed and degree of recovery depend on the severity of infection and area of the
gut involved. Animals that recover from more severe infection may become chronic
so-called poor-doers because of permanent scarring of the gut.
Nervous coccidiosis is a condition that occurs in calves after heavy infections with
Eimeria zuernii. Clinical signs include muscle tremors, convulsions, nystagmus, and
other central nervous system signs. Animals may fall to the ground, show neurologic
signs, then recover and have periods of normality. Mortality associated with nervous
coccidiosis can be 80% to 90%. The pathophysiology of this condition is not
known.7,13
DIAGNOSIS
Table 2
Anticoccidial agents for use in treatment and prevention of coccidiosis in cattle (C), sheep (S),
and goats (G). Consult product label for specific class restriction within species and
withdrawal times
and natural programs. Anticoccidial agents used in other species, such as poultry,
may be toxic to ruminants.15
The most commonly used anticoccidial drugs from those listed in Table 2 are the
ionophores (decoquinate, lasalocid, and monensin). They are feed additives classified
as antibiotics. By altering the rumen bacteria, they also improve feed efficiency and
control bloat and acidosis.18 Sulfa drugs are commonly used to treat coccidiosis in
many species but the exact mechanism is not known. Their clinical effectiveness
may be more related to control of secondary bacterial enteritis than to a direct effect
on coccidia. Sulfaquinoxaline is the only sulfa drug approved for control of coccidiosis
and only in cattle.
When using anticoccidial drugs for prevention or treatment of weaned young stock,
all animals in the group should be medicated. Resistance to coccidiostats can occur,
and is common in poultry.7 To minimize this potential, longer-term preventive uses
should be limited to high risk-situations. Although resistance is possible, evidence
that it occurs in ruminant Eimeria spp is mostly circumstantial at this time. Treatment
success of clinical coccidiosis is frequently unrewarding, and no drug has ever been
documented to be highly efficacious for treatment.19 Once clinical signs appear, dam-
age to the intestines has already occurred. What seems to be lack of efficacy of a
treatment (continued diarrhea), is most likely caused by a damaged gut.20 Use of
206 Keeton & Navarre
drugs such as amprolium and sulfas for treatment may help prevent worsening of
clinical signs by limiting reinfection in animals that cannot be removed from a contam-
inated environment and for which addition of ionophores to feed is impractical.
As mentioned before, the degree of oocyst shedding is affected by many factors,
including initial dose, stage of the infections, age of the animal, and individual suscep-
tibility. Therefore, using oocyst counts to determine drug efficacy/resistance in 1 or a
small number of animals is difficult. The use of products not approved for food animal
species, such as ponazuril (Marquis), for clinical cases that seem to be refractory to
approved treatments is not recommended. It is unlikely to be any more clinically effec-
tive once clinical signs appear, and the meat withdrawal time is more than 120 days
(contact FARAD.org for exact withdrawal times).21 Use of ponazuril for convenience
(1 dose compared with multiple doses of approved products) is illegal under
AMDUCA.
Coccidiosis prevention is usually reserved for calves after weaning, when they are
most susceptible, and in drylot or crowded condition. If problems occur in nursing
calves, an anticoccidial drugs in creep feed may be necessary. Because lambs and
kids are most at risk while still on the dam, coccidiostats can be provided to the
dams for 30 days before lambing/kidding to reduce environmental contamination.
An added benefit to the use of ionophores prepartum in sheep and goats is a potential
decrease in the incidence pregnancy toxemia.16
SUMMARY
REFERENCES
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208 Keeton & Navarre
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