Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

High prevalence of pathogenic Eimeria spp. and the main risk factors associated with infection in goats from a semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil

  • Regular Articles
  • Published:
Tropical Animal Health and Production Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the epidemiology of infections caused by Eimeria spp. in goats bred in an extensive production system in Northeast Brazil. To this end, an epidemiological survey was performed, wherein 350 fecal samples were collected from goats ranging from 3 months to 8 years old across 30 farms. The number of oocysts per gram of feces (OPG) was counted using the Mini-FLOTAC method. Species were identified based on their morphological and morphometric characteristics. Frequencies between animal categories were assessed using the chi-square test and known risk factors after multivariate analysis. Eimeria oocysts were found in 99.4% (346/348) of samples and 100% (30/30) of the farms. The OPG was influenced by the age of the animals; therefore, young goats (up to 6 months old) eliminated more oocysts (2302.6 + 5454.8) than adult goats (881.7 + 1551.5). Three pathogenic species were identified, with two demonstrating a high prevalence: Eimeria arloingi (88.83%) and Eimeria christenseni (44.7%), in addition to Eimeria caprina (3.72%). In the study, the habit of ground feeding and the use of cisterns as water sources were identified as risk factors, with odds ratios of 4.04 and 9.82, respectively. However, cleaning facilities at shorter intervals was a protective factor (OR = 0.19). We concluded that there was a high prevalence of Eimeria infection in goats bred in extensive production systems, even those in semiarid regions. This high prevalence can be attributed to the congregation of animals in shaded areas and the substantial accumulation of fecal matter at night.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Data will be made available on reasonable request.

References

  • Carrau, T., Silva, L.M.R., Pérez, D., Ruiz De Ybáñez, R., Taubert, A., Hermosilla, C., 2016. First description of an in vitro culture system for Eimeria ovinoidalis macromeront formation in primary host endothelial cells. Parasitology International, 65, 516-519.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cavalcante, A.C.R., Teixeira, M., Monteiro, J.P., Lopes, C. W.G., 2011. Eimeria species in dairy goats in Brazil. Veterinary Parasitology, 183, 356-358.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chartier. C., Paraud. C., 2012. Coccidiosis due to Eimeria in sheep and goats, a review. Small Ruminant Reseach, 103, 84-92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, V.M.M., Simões, S.V.D., Riet-Correa, F., 2009. Parasitic diseases in ruminants in the Brazilian semiarid. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research, 29, 563-568.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cringoli, G., Maurelli, M.P., Levecke, B., Bosco, A., Vercruysse J., Jürg Utzinger, J., Rinaldi, L., 2017. The Mini-FLOTAC technique for the diagnosis of helminth and protozoan infections in humans and animals. Nature Protocols, 12, 1723-1732.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diao, N.C., Zhao, B., Chen, Y., Wang, Q., Chen, Z.Y., Yang, Y., Sun, Y.H., Shi, J.F., Li, J.M., Shi, K., Gong, Q.L., Du, R., 2022. Prevalence of Eimeria Spp. Among Goats in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 12, 1-11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eckert, J., Braun R., Shirley, M.W., Coudert, P. 1995. Guidelines on techniques in coccidiosis research. COST 89/820. European Commission, DGXII, p. 103-117.

  • Faizal, A.C.M., Rajapakse, R.P.V.J., 2001. Prevalence of coccidia and gastrointestinal nematode infections in cross bred goats in the dry areas of Sri Lanka. Small Ruminant Research, 40, 233-238.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hashemnia, M. Khodakaram-Tafit, A.K., Razavi, S.M., 2012. Experimental caprine coccidiosis caused by Eimeria arloingi: morphopathologic and electron microscopic studies. Veterinary Research Communications, 36, 47-55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hermosilla, C., Ruiz, A., Taubert, A., 2012. Eimeria bovis: an update on parasite-host cell interactions. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, 302, 210-215

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hosmer, D.W., Lemeshow S., 2000. Applied logistic regression. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 375p.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Censo Agropecuário. 2021. Disponível em: https://www.ibge.gov.br/estatisticas/economicas/agricultura-e-pecuaria/9107-producao-da-pecuaria-municipal.html?=&t=resultados. Accessed: 11 Dec, 2022.

  • Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia. 2022. Tabela de dados das Estações - Estação Petrolina (A307): Precipitação - Período 01/01/2022 a 30/06/2022. Disponível em: https://tempo.inmet.gov.br/TabelaEstacoes/A001. Accessed: 11 Dec, 2022.

  • Keeton, S.T., Navarre, C.B., 2018. Coccidiosis in large and small ruminants. Veterinary Clinics Food Animal Practice, 34, 201-208.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Khodakaram - Tafit, A.K., Hashemnia, M., 2017. An overview of intestinal coccidiosis in sheep and goats. Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire, 168, 9-20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lima, J. D.,2004. Coccidiosis of domestic ruminants. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, 13, 9-13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macedo, L.O., Santos, M.A.B., Silva, N.M.M., Barros, G.M.M.R., Alves, L.C., Giannelli, A., Ramos, R.A.N., Carvalho, G.A., 2019. Morphological and epidemiological data on Eimeria species infecting small ruminants in Brazil. Small Ruminant Research, 171, 37-41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministério do Meio Ambiente, Secretaria de Recursos Hídricos, 2005. Programa de Ação Nacional de Combate à Desertificação e Mitigação dos Efeitos da Seca – PAN-Brasil. Brasília-DF, 213p. Available in: https://antigo.mma.gov.br/estruturas/sedr_desertif/_arquivos/pan_brasil_portugues.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec 2022.

  • O'Callaghan, M.G., 1989. Coccidia of domestic and feral goats in South Australia. Veterinary Parasitology, 30, 267-272.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira, D.A.S., Brito, R.L.L., Neves, M.R.M., Sousa, M.M., Miranda, R.R.C., Mourão, A.E.B., Cavalcante, A.C.R., Vieira L.S., 2018. Gastrointestinal parasites in goats from Quixadá, Ceará. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research, 38, 1505-1510.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B.L., McMahon, T.C., 2007. Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, 1633-1644.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riet-Correa, B., Simões, S.V.D., Filho, J.M.P., Azevedo, S.S., Melo, D.B., Batista, J.A., Neto, E.G.M., Correa, F.R., 2013. Productive systems of dairy goats in the semiarid of Paraiba: characterization, major limiting factors and evaluation of intervention strategies. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research, 33, 345-352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva, L.M.R, Vila-Viçosa, M.J.M., Maurelli, M.P., Morgoglione, M.E., Cortes, H.C.E., Cringoli, G., Rinaldi, L., 2013. Mini-FLOTAC for the diagnosis of Eimeria infection in goats: An alternative to McMaster. Small Ruminant Research, 114, 280-283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silva, L.M.R., Vila-Vicosa, M.J.M., Nunes, T.; Taubert, A., Hermosilla, C., Cortes H.C.E., 2014. Eimeria infections in goats in Southern Portugal. Brazilian Journal Veterinary Parasitology, 23, 280-286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Souza, L. E.B., Cruz, J.F., Teixeira Neto, M.R., Albuquerque, G.R., Melo, A.D.B., Tapia, D.M.T., 2015. Epidemiology of Eimeria infections in sheep raised extensively in a semiarid region of Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, 24, 410-415.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tembue, A.A.S. M., Ramos, R.A.N., Lima, M.M., Faustino, M.A.G., Meunier, I.M.J., Alves, L.C., 2009. Espécies do gênero Eimeria Schneider, 1875 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) em pequenos ruminantes, provenientes do município de Ibimirim, estado de Pernambuco. Veterinary News, 15, 51-57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thrusfield, M., 1995. Veterinary Epidemiology. 2. ed. Blackwell Science, Cambridge, 479p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar J.H., 1999. Biostatistical Analysis. 4. ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. 663p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zvinorova, P.I., Halimani, T.E., Muchadeyi, F.C., Matika, O., Riggio, V, Dzama, K., 2016. Prevalence and risk factors of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in goats in low-input low-output farming systems in Zimbabwe. Small Ruminant Research, 143, 75-83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We express our sincere gratitude to Agricultural Defense Agency of the State of Pernambuco and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development for the facilities provided to conduct this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Defense Agency of the State of Pernambuco, Petrolina, Pernambuco, 56306-260, Brazil

    G. M. Carvalho Junior

  2. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 52171-900, Brazil

    L. C. Alves

  3. Center of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of the San Francisco Valley, Petrolina, Pernambuco, 56300-000, Brazil

    M. C. Horta

  4. Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the Sertão de Pernambuco, Petrolina, Pernambuco, 56302-970, Brazil

    R. M. Peixoto

Authors
  1. G. M. Carvalho Junior
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. C. Alves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. C. Horta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. M. Peixoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Data collection were performed by Carvalho Junior, G. M. Data analysis was performed by all authors. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Carvalho Junior, G. M., and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. M. Peixoto.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Animal Research Ethics Committee—CEUA (grant number: 002/260421) and by the Human Research Ethics Committee (grant number: 47262421.3.0000.8052).

Statement of animal rights

Fecal samples were collected by an experienced veterinarian and were done in accordance with animal welfare regulations.

Consent to participate

The participants signed informed consent before participating in this study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Carvalho Junior, G.M., Alves, L.C., Horta, M.C. et al. High prevalence of pathogenic Eimeria spp. and the main risk factors associated with infection in goats from a semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil. Trop Anim Health Prod 55, 367 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03784-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03784-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation