Coccidiosis is a group of infectious diseases of animals and birds that are caused by protozoa - coccidia. They parasitize the intestinal mucosa, which leads to the development of a severe, often fatal disease. Young animals especially die in large numbers. Let's consider the causes of bovine coccidiosis, symptoms of the disease, methods of diagnosis, therapy and prevention.
Causes of the disease
Coccidiosis in cows is the most common intestinal disease in young animals. Calves 3-12 weeks old are affected, less often older ones. Adults are usually carriers of coccidia and rarely get sick.The disease can be caused by up to 10 species of protozoa.
Coccidiosis occurs everywhere, mainly in farms with unsatisfactory housing or feeding conditions. Cases of coccidiosis are most common during rainy seasons and where wet pastures are used for grazing. Stress after changing food, veterinary procedures and transportation can also cause the development of coccidiosis.
Infection with protozoa occurs through food, drinking water, grooming items and feeders contaminated with protozoan oocysts.
Cattle become infected with coccidiosis by ingesting oocysts in feed or water. The protozoa enter the intestines and settle on the mucosal epithelium. The cells exfoliate, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, the villi become enlarged, deformed and destroyed. Small vessels are destroyed, the intestinal walls swell, parietal digestion is disrupted, and nutrients are poorly absorbed. In areas affected by coccidia, pathogens multiply intensively, further increasing intestinal inflammation. The result is diarrhea.
With a mild form of coccidiosis, recovery may occur within 3-4 days from the onset of the disease. The disease in a protracted form can last for several months. Death in this case occurs from anemia. Even after recovery, recovered individuals remain carriers of coccidia.
Symptoms of the disease
The incubation period for coccidiosis lasts 2-3 weeks. The initial signs are indigestion. The feces of calves become liquid and foul-smelling, streaked with blood; in severe cases, bloody diarrhea and increased temperature are noted. The animals are depressed, their appetite is greatly weakened, in severe cases it is absent, and chewing cud stops.They walk with difficulty, their gait is unsteady and uncertain. Death of calves can occur between 5 and 21 days. If there are a large number of infected young animals, the mortality rate can be high.
Sick calves reduce feed consumption, growth processes are delayed, and dehydration occurs. Animals become emaciated, the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes turn pale. The anus and tail are soiled with feces, the mesenteric lymph nodes are enlarged. If dairy cows are sick, milk yield decreases.
In dead animals, the contents of the intestines are dirty brown, the mucous membrane of the large intestines is hyperemic, with numerous hemorrhages, and specific whitish coccidiosis accumulations are clearly visible on it. An enlarged heart, dystrophy of the liver and kidneys, hyperemia and pulmonary edema are observed.
Diagnosis of pathology
In addition to clinical signs, tests are necessary to diagnose the disease. To do this, they take the feces of sick cows; the disease is confirmed if coccidia oocysts are found in it. Repeated tests are also carried out if it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis.
Coccidiosis is differentiated from colibacillosis, clostridiosis, and salmonellosis.
Treatment and prevention of coccidiosis
Treatment of the disease is aimed at destroying coccidia and stopping their reproduction. Therapy is carried out using special anticoccidiosis drugs. During the treatment period, sick calves are isolated from a healthy herd. The stalls where they were located are disinfected with hot lye. Anticoccidiosis drugs are mixed with milk and the solution is given to the calves. For young animals, prepare a solution by mixing medications, for example, Baycox, with water.
The litter is changed every day to avoid traces of manure. Feeders, drinkers and equipment are scalded with boiling water.Exposure to high temperature is necessary, since almost all disinfectants are powerless against coccidia due to their dense shell. The walking area is sprinkled with fresh sand to minimize the contact of healthy animals with manure left by sick individuals. Calves are grazed on separate pastures. They are fed dry food and given clean water.
Maliciousness
Coccidiosis, like other dangerous cattle infections, causes economic damage to farms. Loss of income occurs due to slower growth of young animals or their death, incidence of other infectious diseases in calves against the background of coccidiosis, and due to the cost of complex treatment.
Preventive actions
During treatment, sick calves are kept separately from healthy young animals. You need to remove manure every day and change the litter. Every week you need to spray the floors with boiling water and caustic soda solution. Buckets and feeders also need to be disinfected with boiling water (coccidia die from high temperature). Cover the yard where animals roam with clean sand. Graze calves and young animals in areas where there are no damp, wetlands, where sick individuals did not graze. If possible, you should change pastures every week.
Coccidiosis poses a danger to calves up to six months of age. Mostly animals that live in insufficient sanitary conditions and with weakened immune systems are infected. Without treatment, few recover; a significant proportion of sick animals die. Early treatment gives animals a chance to recover.
