Natural co-infection and species composition of Eimeria in sheep in Al-Baha area, Saudi Arabia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 1- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. 2- Science Department, Faculty of Education, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia.

2 Al-Baha Official abattoirs, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This work aimed to 1) identifyEimeria speciesof sheep 2) investigatesthe factors that might potentially influence their prevalence and parasite load and 3) study the associations between Eimeria species. This study was conducted in Al-Baha area, Saudi Arabia from March 2012 to May 2013. Out of 487 faecal samples examined, 227 (46.61%) were positive for Eimeria oocysts. The species composition of Eimeria consisted of eight species. They were E. crandallis (29.8%), E. bakuensis (27.9%), E. weybridgensis (23.4%), E. ahsata (12.3 %), E. intricate (9.9 %), E. faurei (7.6 %), E. parva (4.7 %)and E. pallida (2.9 %). The overall mean species richness of Eimeria species harbored per host was 1.27 ± 0.07. Host age, season and location played a significant role in determining Eimeria species richness, prevalence and parasite load. Significant negative correlations were found between host age and both prevalence and oocysts' number per gram of faeces (OPG). Multiple-species infections were commonly present in all age categories and declined with host age. Some Eimeria species consistently co-occurred and positive pair-wise associations were found. In conclusion, the prevalence and parasite load are affected by host age and season.

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