Study on frequency of Eimeria species among sheep and goats of Urmia city, Iran

Coccidiosis is an economically important disease caused by a variety of Eimeria spp. In this study, the frequency of Eimeria species in sheep and goats of Urmia city in different seasons of the year was investigated. For this purpose, 280 sheep and goats were studied from Februry 2020 to Februry 2021. Fecal culture method with potassium bicromate (2%) was performed for Identification of Eimeria spp. Out of 280 small ruminants studied, 48 (17.14%) were infected with Eimeria spp. From the studied sheeps, six Eimeria species including E. intricata (40.54%), E. parva (18.91%), E. faurei (16.21%), E. ovina (10.81%), E. ahsata (8.10%), and E. pallida (5.4%) were identified. From the studied goats, three Eimeria species including E. arloingi (54.54%), E. christenseni (27.27%) and E. palida (18.18%) were also identified. The results of this study showed that there are different types of Eimeria spp., including pathogenic Eimeria in sheep and goats in Urmia. According to the importance of sheep and goat breeding industry in the northwest of Iran, preventive and periodic treatments against coccidiosis can prevent the effects of this parasite, including reduced production and growth rate especially in younger species and thus help the economics of the region.