A report of unusual diffuse nodular lesions in intestines of lambs with coccidiosis

Subject Areas : Veterinary Clinical Pathology

a.r Taghavi Razavizadeh ¹ , حسین Nourani ² , Gh Razmi ³ , هاشم Zarif Moghadam Basefat ⁴

1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
3 - Professor, Department Of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
4 - Private Veterinarian, Mashhad, Iran.

Received: 2016-03-14 Accepted : 2016-10-26 Published : 2016-11-21

Keywords: lamb, Coccidiosis, Small intestine, Diffuse nodular lesions,

Abstract :

Ovine and caprine coccidiosis has always been regarded as one of the important diseases with high morbidity and economic losses such as weight loss, death and costs of treatment and control. In a sheep farm, 4 sick newborn lambs (out of 10 lambs) with the age of 1 to 2 months died with clinical signs of weight loss, loss of appetite, yellowish diarrhea, fever, ruffled wool, contamination of tail and perineal area to diarrheic stool and abdominal pain at the touch of abdomen. At necropsy on one lamb, multiple and diffuse nodular hyperplastic lesions yellowish-white in color were seen in the mucosal surface of jejunum. Microscopically, in addition to hyperplasia of the small intestinal villi, various developmental stages of Eimeria were observed. Based on morphological characteristics and presence of numerous polyp like formations in small intestine, the involved protozoan species was determined as Eimeria bakuensis. The relatively high case fatality rate in this flock could be related to sever nodular lesions in the small intestines, age and immune status of the affected animals.

References:

• Aitken, I.D. (2007). Diseases of Sheep. 4^th ed., UK: Blackwell Publishing, pp: 181-184.


• Chartier, C. and Paraud, C. (2012). Coccidiosis due to Eimeria in sheep and goats, a review. Small Ruminant Research, 103(1): 84-92.


• Cozma, V. and Titilincu, A. (2007). Etio-pathogenetical researches in coccidiosis of the lambs bred in big groups, in an unit from the west of Romania. Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 64(1-2): 392-398.


• Galip, K. (2004). Prevalence of Eimeria Species in Lambs in Antakya Province. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Animal Sciences, 28: 687-692


• Kheirandish, R., Nourollahi-Fard, S.R. and Yadegari, Z. (2014). Prevalence and pathology of coccidiosis in goats in southeastern Iran. Journal of Parasitic Diseases, 38(1): 27-31.


• KhodakaramTafti, A. and Mansourian, M. (2008). Pathologic lesions of naturally occurring coccidiosis in sheep and goats. Comparative Clinical Pathology, 17(2): 87-91.


• Maratea, K.A. and Miller, M.A.  (2007). Abomasal coccidiosis associated with proliferative abomasitis in a sheep. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 19: 118-121.


• Nourani, H., Karimi, I. and Azizi, H. (2006). Sever and diffuse nodular hyperplasia of jejunum due to Eimeria species in an Iranian native kid. Pakistan Journal of Biological Science, 9(8): 1574-1586.


• Peregrine, A., Menzies, P., Kelton, D., Jones, A., Shakya, K., Fernandez, S., et al. (2012). Handbook for the Control of Internal Parasites of Sheep and Goats. 2^nd ed., Canada: University of Guelph, pp: 50-58.


• Radostits, O.M., Gay, O.C., Hinchcliff, K.W. and Constable, P.D. (2007). Veterinary Medicine. 10^th ed., United States of America: Saundres, pp: 147, 1504, 1514.


• Skirnisson, K. (2007). Eimeria spp. (Coccidia, Protozoa) infections in a flock of sheep in Iceland: Species composition and seasonal abundance. Icelandic Agricultural Sciences, 20: 73-80.


• Soulsby, E.J. (1996). Helminths, Arthropods and Protozoa of domesticated animals. UK: London, Baillier Tindall, pp: 599-607.


• Taylor, M.A., Coop, R.L. and Wall, R.L. (2013). Veterinary Parasitology. 3rd ed., Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp: 179-183.


• Vorster, J.H. and Mapham, P.H. (2012). Coccidiosis, Review, Jaargang, 14(2): 10-16.