Small Ruminants Coccidiosis in High Altitude Region of Iran

Coccidiosis (Eimeria spp.) is a parasite disease in small ruminants that causes diarrhea and reduced economic benefits. The purpose of this epidemiological study was to use microscopical and molecular assays to detect coccidia prevalence and isolate species-specific Eimeria from sheep and goats kept in a common pan in the central Zagros region. This region is a mountainous and cold region which its southern counties are warmer than other districts. Throughout the course of several seasons, 1200 fecal samples were obtained from three age groups (less than six months, six to twelve months, and more than six months). Oocytes were counted using saturated saline floating and modified MacMaster techniques and the physical characteristics of sporulated Eimeria oocytes were used to identify them. Eimeria infection was shown to be more prevalent in sheep than in goats, with the highest prevalence in spring and the lowest in winter. Females and animals younger than 6 months were similarly found to be more susceptible to coccidiosis than males and older animals (P<0.05). In comparison to the southern area, the western and eastern counties had the highest rates of oocyst excretion in sheep and goats, respectively. In addition, a total of fourteen Eimeria species were isolated, including the highly pathogenic Eimeria granulosa for sheep and E. jolchijevi for goats. These findings explain how coccidia prevalence varies with age, season, and geographic direction, and use of PCR to rule out the possibility of co-infection between sheep and goats kept in the same stall.