Understanding the normal physiology of the body is the key to study the changes that occur due to any infection. It is known that enteric infections play a considerable role in affecting normal body status. Thus, this study was designed for investigating the enteric infections in Arabian camels in Al-Muthanna Province. In this investigation, 588 fecal and blood serum samples (for diarrheic camels only) were collected from the camels in different areas of Al-Muthanna Province, Iraq from both sexes of different ages during the period from October 2020 up to the end of August 2021. The samples were examined using routine microscopic examination techniques, hematological techniques, and ELISA for parasitic and viral identification. Eimeria rajasthani, Isospora orlovi were recorded for the first time in Iraqi camels with clinical signs of diarrhea, dehydration, and emaciation. The study recorded four types of protozoa: Eimeria spp., Isospora, Cryptosporidium and Balantidium coli. The recorded types of Eimeria were E. dromedarii, E. cameli, and E. rajasthani. There was a significant effect of age on infection rates with Eimeria spp. as the highest Eimeria ratio was in ages of less than two years animals. The infection rates were also affected with months which reached the highest ratios of Eimeria in October while the lowest ratio of Eimeria was recorded in July. BVDV infection rate was found in camels that suffered from diarrhea. There is no significant effect of sex on the onset of the viral disease in camels. For hematological parameters, there were significant differences in RBCs, WBCs, Hb, and PCV values in protozoal and BVDV infections. In conclusion, different kinds of protozoal and viral infections were recorded. Some of the recorded infections were associated with acute clinical signs and have zoonotic importance.

Coccidia of the genus Eimeria are specialized intracellular parasitic protozoa that cause severe coccidiosis when they infect their hosts. Animals infected with Eimeria develop clinical symptoms, such as anorexia, diarrhea, and hematochezia, which can even cause death. Although the current preferred regimen for the treatment of coccidiosis is antibiotics, this treatment strategy is limited by the ban on antibiotics and the growing problem of drug resistance. Therefore, the exploration of alternative methods for controlling coccidiosis has attracted much attention. Lactobacillus plantarum has been shown to have many beneficial effects. In this study, L. plantarum M2 was used as a research object to investigate the effect of L. plantarum on intestinal inflammation induced by infection with Eimeria falciformis in mice by detecting indicators, such as oocyst output, serum cytokines, and the intestinal microbiota. Compared with that in the infection group, the percent weight loss of the mice that were administered with L. plantarum M2 was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Supplemented L. plantarum M2 and probiotics combined with diclazuril can reduce the total oocyst output significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). L. plantarum M2 had outstanding performance in maintaining intestinal barrier function, and the levels of the mucin MUC1 and the tight junction protein E-cadherin were significantly elevated (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Studies have shown that probiotic supplementation can alleviate adverse reactions after infection and significantly improve intestinal barrier function. In addition, probiotics combined with diclazuril could optimize the partial efficacy of diclazuril, which not only enhanced the effect of antibiotics but also alleviated their adverse effects. This study expands the application of probiotics, provides new ideas for alternative strategies for coccidia control, and suggests a basis for related research on lactobacilli antagonizing intracellular pathogen infection.IMPORTANCECoccidia of the genus Eimeria are specialized intracellular parasitic protozoa, and the current preferred regimen for the treatment of coccidiosis is antibiotics. However, due to antibiotic bans and drug resistance, the exploration of alternative methods for controlling coccidiosis has attracted much attention. In this work, we focused on Lactobacillus plantarum M2 and found that probiotic supplementation can alleviate adverse reactions after infection and improve intestinal barrier function. This study proposes the possibility of using lactic acid bacteria to control coccidiosis, and its potential mechanism needs further exploration.

Eimeria is a genus of protozoan parasites that infect many animal species, including horses. We conducted a cross-sectional study of indigenous breeds of horses from the North and Northeast of Iran to establish the prevalence and distribution of Eimeria species.
Using standard coprological techniques, 340 faecal samples from randomly selected horses (141 from North Iran and 199 from Northeast Iran) were examined for Eimeria oocyst.
Out of 340 samples, only three from north Iran were positive for coccidiosis. Infections occurred by Eimeria leuckarti. The mean intensity of oocyst output (3-38 o.p.g.) was very low. No clinical signs of gastrointestinal disorders were noticed in horses during this study.
In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the prevalence of Eimeria species causing coccidiosis in indigenous breeds of horses from the North and Northeast of Iran is relatively low. These findings provide valuable insights into the health status of indigenous horses in Iran and may help guide future efforts to promote their welfare and productivity.

The diagnosis of eimeriosis in calves mainly relies on the presence of diarrhoea and the excretion of Eimeria oocysts in the faeces. Restraining the animals to collect rectal samples for diagnostic purposes is stressful and time-consuming. The aim of this study was to evaluate a method for the quantification of oocysts in environmental barn straw samples. To investigate the recovery rate of the method, straw and Eimeria negative faeces were spiked with Eimeria oocysts in plastic bags and mixed with water and 0.05% Tween 20 (v/v); the liquids were filtered twice through sieves (mesh size 300 and 52 μm), centrifuged and the number of oocysts in the sediment determined using a McMaster counting chamber. A recovery rate of 52.4% (95% confidence interval: 48.2-56.5%) was obtained. In the following, field straw (n = 156) and individual faecal samples (n = 195, also analysed by McMaster counting chambers) were collected on four different farms. Eimeria oocysts were present on all farms in faecal (84/195, 43.1%) and straw samples (119/156, 76.3%). In 37 (23.7%) straw samples, sporulated oocysts were observed, with a sporulation rate ranging from 0 to 40%. Despite high variability between farms and examination days, mean numbers of oocysts in the straw positively correlated with mean numbers of oocysts excreted in the faeces (ρSpearman = 0.60). The examination of environmental straw samples may represent an easy-to-perform, non-invasive, inexpensive preliminary diagnostic approach for surveillance of eimeriosis at group level, having the potential to assess the infection pressure.

The present study was carried out to isolate and identify various species of Eimeria and to study overall prevalence of coccidiosis in central Kashmir (Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam). A total of 45 outbreaks, 15 from each district, of coccidiosis in chicken were recorded over the period of two years. A total of 15, 15, 10 and 5 outbreaks were recorded in chicken of 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 weeks of age and layers, respectively. The overall mortality in the flocks was 2.6%, with the highest mortality of 3.2% recorded in the age group of 3-4 weeks. An overall prevalence of coccidiosis among the total necropsies was 10.63%. A total of seven different species of Eimeria were identified in broilers and layers namely E. tenella, E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. necatrix, E. mitis, E. praecox and E. brunetti. Among these species, E. tenella (39.7%) was recorded with highest and E. brunetti (3.1%) with lowest prevalence in broilers, whereas, in case of layers E. necatrix (27.7%) recorded highest and E. mitis, E. praecox and E. brunetti (2.7%) recorded the lowest prevalence. Morphometrically, oocyst of Eimeria maxima (30.4 × 20.8 μm) and Eimeria mitis (16.21 × 16.0 μm) exhibited the largest and smallest sizes, respectively. Most of the Eimeria species had a sporulation time of 18 h with highest in Eimeria maxima (30 h) and lowest in E. praecox (12 h).

(1) Background: Various studies on artemisinin and its derivatives have shown that Artemisia annua may be of therapeutic interest for different diseases, including chicken coccidiosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Artemisia annua on farm-reared broiler chickens by analyzing both the anticoccidial efficacy and its effect on the intestinal microbiota of poultry. (2) Methods: The experiment was performed within three houses on a broiler chicken farm located in Romania. House 1 was the experimental group and received a diet with an addition of A. annua. Houses 2 and 4 were the control groups and received anticoccidials. The prophylactic efficacy of A. annua against coccidiosis was evaluated by recording the weight gain, feed conversion rate, number of oocysts per gram of feces, lesion score, and mortality rate. (3) Results: The chickens fed with A. annua showed a decreasing trend in the number of oocysts per gram of faeces, and their lesion score was 80% lower than in the control group. The weight gains of the chickens treated with A. annua was lower, whilst the feed conversion rate was better than in controls. (4) Conclusions: Artemisia annua showed promising results in the prophylaxis of coccidiosis. Overall, the broiler chickens that received A. annua presented promising zootechnical performances and medical data related to coccidiosis and gut microbiota.

Coccidiosis is one of the most pathogenic intestinal diseases caused by different species of Eimeria spp. (Phylum:Apicomplexa), that cause important economic losses to the livestock industry. Given the importance of camel breeding and its products in the regional economy, in this study the risk factors of prevalence of camels Coccidiosis in the Turkestan region of Republic of Kazakhstan was investigated by oocyte excretion monitoring in the herd. The results revealed that the prevalence of Eimeria sp, was136 (42.5%); and three types of Eimeria spp. were identified: Eimeriabactriani, Eimeriacameli, Eimeria dromedarii. The statistical analysisdemonstratedthat the prevalence and intensity of infection in camel ≤1-year-old were 65.5% and 149.2 respectively, and they were more likely to be infected with Eimeria spp. compared with adult camels (22.5%, 5.7), (pvalue≤0.05). Another probable risk factor is seasons of the year as it seems the high and low prevalence andinfection intensityare observed in summer (60%, 102.1) and winter (20.6%, 21.25), respectively. Multivariate analysis of our data revealed that age and season were significant risk factors (p< 0.005) and adoption of hygienic measures and husbandry practice are needed among the high risk groups(in young camel and summer season) to minimize, control and prevent spreadof the infection.

This is an epidemiological study on the gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) and Eimeria coccidia infections in Kazakh sheep and the F1 and F2 generations of Kazakh × Texel sheep crosses. A total of 7599 sheep fecal samples were collected from the Zhaosu County and Nilka County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in the four seasons-spring, summer, autumn, and winter of 2019. The parasite causing the infection was identified by the saturated saline floating method, and the infection intensity was calculated by the modified McMaster method. SPSS19.0 was used to evaluate the differences in the fecal egg count (FEC) of for GIN and the fecal oocyst count (FOC) value of for coccidia per sample. The results showed that there were nine types of sheep GIN infections and Eimeria coccidia in these two counties of Ililocations, with the dominant parasite species of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus spp., and Ostertagia spp as the predominant parasites in the sheep. Most of the GIN and coccidia infections in these two regions were mild and moderate. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection in the Zhaosu area was significantly higher than that in the Nilka area, whereas the mean log (FOC) of coccidia infection in Zhaosu was significantly lower than that of Nilka. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection in the four seasons was the highest in spring, followed by in summer, then in autumn, and the lowest in winter. The mean log (FOC) of coccidia infection was the highest in spring, followed by in autumn, and was the lowest in summer and winter. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection and log (FOC) of coccidia infection of Kazakh sheep was significantly higher than the F1 generation, which was then significantly higher than the F2 generation of summer. A positive correlation was found between the EPG and OPG levels in the sheep. These results showed that the GIN and coccidia infection intensities of the F1 generation sheep of Kazakh ×Texel crosses were significantly lower than that of Kazakh sheep paving the way for marker-based resistance selection.

This study was conducted from January to October 2018 with the objective to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of Eimeria species in broiler and free-range chickens in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. A total of 342 faecal samples were collected from 12 randomly selected healthy broiler chicken farms and 40 free-range chickens from 10 different locations. Faecal samples were screened for the presence of Eimeria oocysts using a standard flotation method. The species of Eimeria isolates were confirmed by amplification of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) partial region and sequences analysis. Among broiler and free-ranging chickens, 19 out of 41 pens (46.3%) and 25 out of 42 faecal samples (59.5%) were positive for Eimeria infection. Molecular detection revealed the following species: Eimeria maxima, Eimeria tenella, Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria brunetti and Eimeria mitis in all the samples screened. Similarly, polymerase chain reaction assays specific for three cryptic Eimeria operational taxonomic units were negative for all the samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS-1 sequences supported species identity with the greatest variation detected for E. mitis. This study provides information on the range and identity of Eimeria species, and their genetic relatedness, circulating in commercially reared broilers and free-ranging chickens from different locations in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) host numerous parasites. Although there is a general knowledge about parasite diversity in reindeer, detailed baseline information about parasitic infections is limited. Detailed knowledge of parasite prevalence and diversity provide a pathway for more targeted parasite control, an increasing need expected in the future. The main aim of our cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in semidomesticated reindeer calves. The 480 reindeer calves included in our study were aged 6-7 months, originated from 9 reindeer herding cooperatives in Finland and 1 in Norway, and were slaughtered during September-November 2015 in 10 reindeer slaughterhouses. All the reindeer calves passed meat inspection, and the detected parasitic infections were subclinical. As the reindeer included in this study were young animals intended for slaughter, they had never been administrated any antiparasitic treatment. Assessments of gastrointestinal parasitism among these reindeer calves were based on fecal examination and morphological identification of coccidian oocysts or helminth eggs. Individual fecal samples collected from the rectum of each of the reindeer were examined using a modified McMaster method. Most (78.3%) of the reindeer calves had eggs or oocysts of at least one parasite species in their feces, and more than half (53.5%) had a mixed infection. Strongylid eggs were detected in 75.6%, Eimeria sp. oocysts in 50.6%, Moniezia sp. eggs in 28.1%, Nematodirus sp. eggs in 22.1%, Capillaria sp. eggs in 9.4%, and Trichuris sp. eggs in 0.6% of the samples. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was similar or higher relative to previous estimates from the region; the proportion of reindeer calves shedding strongylid eggs and the proportion of reindeer calves shedding Moniezia sp. eggs had increased. Prevalence varied by geographical region, which may reflect different herding practices or environmental parameters. Higher reindeer density was a risk factor for testing positive for Eimeria sp. oocysts, and the odds of testing positive for Nematodirus sp. eggs were higher if a peroral route was used for antiparasitic treatment in the reindeer herding cooperative. The mean proportion of reindeer estimated to receive antiparasitic treatment in Finland was 86% in 2004-2005 and 91% in 2014-2015. During the historical time frames of current management practices, this routine annual antiparasitic treatment of breeding reindeer has not decreased the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in reindeer calves, which can be seen as sentinels or indicators of the infection pressure.