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

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.