Coccidiosis Due to Eimeria arloingi Infection in a Saanen Goat Kid

| Coccidiosis, caused by protozoa of the genus Eimeria, is one of the major parasitic diseases characterized by subclinical contagious enteritis influencing domestic and wild animals. Most often affected are young animals with diarrhoea, poor growth and death. A month of age death in Saanen goat kid was referred to Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universty of Kırıkkale. At necropsy, severe and diffuse nodular hyperplasia were present on entire small intestine mostly jejunum and ileum. Also intestinal contents were solid and bloody in jejunum and ileum, cecum and large intestinal contents were watery and greenish. Morphological identification of Eimeria arloingi oocysts was carried out based on sporulation techniques and 9900 of oocysts per gram of feces (OPG) were determined by means of the modified McMaster technique. At histo-pathologic examination of intestinal segments were observed whole epithelial layers cells containing oocyst and different numbers of developmental stages of protozoan.

number of oocysts in 1 g of feces (OPG coefficient) (Thienpont et al., 1986).The intensity of infection in kid was high 9 900 oocysts in 1 g of feaces.Sporulation was performed in wet chamber at 24-26°C in a 2.5% aqueous solution of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) (Pellérdy 1974).The species of Eimeria was determined based on morphological criteria of oocysts such as; shape of oocyst, presence of micropyle, aspect of oocyst wall, polar cap, colour, shape of sporocyst, presence of stieda body, oocystal and sporocystal residues (Coudert, 1992).According to results, E. arloingi was noted (Figure 1B).
Systematically collected tissue samples of the kid were fixed in 10% buffered formalin for 48 hours for histopathologic examination.Then they were embedded in paraffin-wax, sectioned at 4-5 μm thickness and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E).At the histopathologic examination, epithelium cells of almost all layers were detected to be full with E. arloingi.There were macrogamont, microgamont and oocyst stages of E. arloingi in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum epithelium and mild neutrophil and eosinophil infiltration with severe plasmacyte and lymphocyte infiltration (Figure 1E and 1F).Also, hyperemic areas were found.
Saanen goat is a Swiss originated high yielding dairy goat breaded throughout the world.In this case report, we pathologically and parasitologically investigated the dead of the Saanen goat kid that was brought to clinics with manifestations of lack of appetite, inertia and diarrhea.We have determined that the dead was associated with coccidiosis due to E. arloingi and hence the breeder was informed.To best of our knowledge, previously there had been no reported case of Saanen goat coccidiosis due to Eimeria spp. in Turkey.Around the globe economic losses due to coccidiosis in Saanen goat is not to be underestimated.In this case report, coccidiosis due to E. arloingi in Saanen goat is clinically and pathologically well described.Since breeding of Saanen goat is economically a privileged breeding type, and coccidiosis may result in fatal outcome, it is of importance that the breeders should concentrate on preventative measures for protection of Saanen goats from coccidiosis.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Author declares no conflict of interest.

Figure1: A .
Figure1: A. Unsporulated oocysts in feces detected with flotation examination; B. Sporulated oocysts in feces detected with flotation examination; C. Severe and diffuse noduler hyperplasia (arrows) in intestine serosa; D. Severe and diffuse noduler hyperplasia (arrows) in lumen of duodenum; E. There were macrogamont (arrow head), microgamont (arrow), hyperemi (h), neutrophil and eosinophil infiltration with severe plasmacyte and lymphocyte (asterisk); F. There were macrogamont (arrow head), microgamont (arrow) and oocyst stages of E. arloingi (asterisk) in intestinal epithelium ment, native examination and flotation with saturated NaC1 was done for determine number of oocysts (Figure 1A).Fecal examination was performed with the modified McMaster technique, establishing the