Eimeria

The Eimeria life cycle has an exogenous phase, during which the oocysts are excreted into the environment, and an endogenous phase, where parasite development occurs in the host intestine. During the endogenous phase, several rounds of asexual reproduction, or schizogony take place, after which the sexual differentiation of gametes and fertilisation occurs. Parasite transmission occurs via the oral-fecal route. Infections are common in farming environments where many animals are confined in a small space.[7]

Eimeria life cycle

Evolutionary relationships among Apicomplexa

The Eimeria lie within the family Eimeriidae. Eimeria accounts for close to 75% of the species within this family, and it is the most specious of the genera of the Apicomplexa with 1,700 described species.[13]

Attempts to subdivide this large taxonomic unit into separate genera have been made. The classification of eimeriid coccidian was largely based on morphological and life cycle details.[14] More recently, classification has been done using rDNA and mitochondrial genes, which indicate Eimeria may be paraphyletic to Isospora and Cyclospora [15]

Eimeria: These species are tetrasporocystic with dizoic, nonbivalved sporocysts with or without Stieda bodies. This new genus retains the majority of the species.[13]

Goussia (Labbe 1896): These species are tetrasporocystic, dizoic, lack Stieda bodies, and have sporocyst walls consisting of two valves joined by a longitudinal suture. This genus contains about 20 species.[16]

Crystallospora (Thelohan 1893): The species in this genus is tetrasporocystic and dizoic, and have dodecahedral sporocysts composed of two hexagonal, pyrimidal valves joined at their bases by a suture. This genus contains a single species, Crystallospora cristalloides

Epieimeria: The species in this genus are tetrasporocystic, dizoic, possess Stieda bodies, and undergo merogony and gametogony on the lumenal surface of the intestinal tract. Three species are in this genus.[17]

Line drawings of sporulated oocysts of several species of Eimeria

Methods for species identification are varied and among others, include isozyme analysis,[18] the use of rRNA and rDNA probes,[19] DNA assays and recombinant DNA techniques.[20][21][22] PCR has proven most useful for outbreak surveillance.[23] Prior to these methods, species identification was based on phenotypic characteristics such as the site of parasite development, the oocyst structure, the host species, cross immunity and the presence of lesions. Out of these, comparing oocyst structures was the most commonly used method.[24][3]

A whole genome sequencing project is in progress with chosen species, Eimeria tenella. The genome is about 60 megabases in size and has a GC-content around 53%. The 14 chromosomes range in size from 1 to > 6 megabases. Since 2013, the sequencing and annotation of a further six avian Eimeria species genomes is in progress.[25]

Coccidiosis typically results in diarrhoea, weight loss and dehydration. A combination of these factors may result in poor growth and death of the animal, particularly amongst young.[10] Other clinical signs include lethargy, depression, and reduced normal grooming behaviour.[26] Diarrhoea may be bloody due to intestinal epithelium dying off when a large number of oocysts and merozoites burst out of the cells.

The severity of the disease is directly dependent on the number of infective Eimeria oocysts that are ingested.[27] The pathogenesis of infection varies from mild to severe, and is largely dependent on the magnitude of infection.[28] In light infections, the damage to the gut might only be minimal and be rapidly repaired as cells are rapidly replaced by the body. However, in heavy infections, it may only take two weeks for many intestinal epithelial cells to be infected with either Eimeria meronts or gametocytes. These cause the epithelial cells to burst, which causes significant damage to the intestine epithelial layer, resulting in the release of blood, fluid, and electrolytes into the intestine.[29]

Good animal husbandry practices and prophylactic application of anticoccidial drugs that target different stages of the parasite lifecycle, such as sulfonamides, ionophores and toltrazuril, are the preferred methods of disease prevention, particularly in the poultry industry.[7][2]

The following drugs can be used for treatment of coccidiosis in cattle: amprolium, sulfaquinoxaline, and sulfamethazine. However, it is often more effective to prevent this disease in cattle, which can be aided by the products lasalocid, decoquinate, and monensin.[29]

There is a growing problem of drug resistance, as well as possible drug residues in the meat once the animal is butchered. As a result, other avenues of control are being explored, particularly vaccine development, although several live attenuated vaccines have been in use since the 1950s.[30][31] So far, the best practice is to vaccinate the chicks once they hatch from the egg so they are immune for life.

Infection with Eimeria results in life-long immunity to that particular parasite species, but does not give cross protection against other species. For these reasons, vaccines for control seem promising, of which live attenuated vaccines are most effective. However, the search for highly immunogenic antigens and overcoming antigenic variation of the parasites remains a challenge. Immunity to the parasite varies depending on parasite and host species, as well as the site of invasion. CD4+ T cells and interferon gamma (γ) are crucial components of natural immunity to infection.[32] Humoral immunity is thought to play little role in protection, and is most likely mediated through secretory IgA antibodies.[12]

• An overview of Eimeria and coccidiosis
• The Life Cycle of Coccidia