Coccidiosis in Small Ruminants
What are the primary costs that factor into raising small ruminant animals?
What is coccidiosis?
Coccidiosis or intestinal coccidiosis in small ruminants is the clinical disease and accompanying array of symptoms caused by the infection of coccidian protozoa in the genus Eimeria. Depending on the level of infection and type of coccidia species, coccidiosis can be characterized by varying levels of morbidity, mortality, enteritis and a decrease in performance parameters.
How does coccidiosis impact the global sheep, goat and deer industries?
Coccidiosis is a major concern in small ruminants worldwide due to its effects on enteric health and overall herd performance. In the U.S., coccidiosis is estimated to contribute to $341 million in economic losses. Additionally, interactions from other disease pathogens, nutritional imbalances and coccidiosis can lead to further stress in animals and, as a result, an increase in the severity of other clinical disease symptoms. Therefore, due to the cost of prevention, treatment of coccidiosis and production losses, it is recognized as a disease with a great economic impact in small ruminants.
What causes coccidiosis in small ruminants?
Coccidiosis is caused by the apicomplexan protozoan parasite in the genus Eimeria. Eimeria are host-specific, and distinctive different forms of intestinal coccidiosis manifest in different species. Young kids and lambs are the most vulnerable to this disease and can become infected by ingesting oocytes when grazing or through poor sanitation of supplies that are contaminated with feces from infected animals. When an animal is infected, the oocytes make their way to the intestine, ultimately multiplying further.
Signs and symptoms of coccidiosis
Coccidiosis symptoms can vary from mild to severe, but most infections are considered mild. However, due to the disease’s invasion and destruction of host cells, even mild infections can negatively impact the conversion of feed nutrients into meat. Clinical signs associated with coccidiosis are species-distinctive, and the severity of the infection is based on gross lesions, in addition to microscopic intestinal lesions.
Signs to watch for:
- Watery diarrhea with or without mucus or blood
- Constipation
- Lack of appetite accompanied by fever
- Dehydration because of diarrhea
- Weakness in the animal
- Emaciation caused by weight loss
Management tips to help prevent coccidiosis
The prevention of coccidiosis in small ruminants is key to avoid damage from infection and to mitigate any associated production losses and welfare issues.
A recommended integrated approach would be to use a combination of:
- Antimicrobials
- Antiprotozoal agents (coccidiocidal vs. coccidiostatic)
- Vaccines
- Improved animal husbandry practices
Additionally, as many in the industry decrease their use of antibiotics for management and prevention, naturally derived feed additives have become more popular — especially those derived from:
- Essential oils
- Prebiotics
- Probiotics
- Postbiotics
- Saponins
- Tannins
These additives are most successful when used in addition to good facility management practices.
Here are a few additional tips and recommendations to help reduce the risk of coccidiosis:
1. Good sanitation practices in pastures, pens and food and water sources are crucial, regardless of the type of production system. Additionally, cleaning and disinfection between groups and implementing a quarantine period must be carried out to prevent other diseases from being introduced into the current group of animals.
2. Minimizing weaning stress when possible and introducing a creep feed to young, newly-weaned or soon-to-be weaned animals.
3. Immune status plays a significant role in the recovery from and level of tolerance to the disease; as such, ensuring a healthy start by mitigating any immunosuppressive causative agents, such as viruses and mycotoxin challenges, are vital.
4. Providing high-quality feed ingredients and ensuring the availability of feed will also contribute to the delivery of feed additives to help mitigate coccidia infections, will diminish the secondary infections associated with coccidia cycling and will help maintain overall gut health.
Coccidia control programs should be tailored to each operation’s unique circumstances. Therefore, the plan for controlling coccidia long-term should include routine monitoring and testing to evaluate the effectiveness of each program, along with the implementation of sustainable practices.