Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Published:

Differentiation of Eimeria Species Infecting Sheep During the Grazing Season on Permanent and New Pastures Under Norwegian Conditions

Differensiering av Eimeria-arter hos sau på permanente og nye heiter under norske forhold

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 14, pages 57–68 (1973)Cite this article

Abstract

The total and differential oocyst counts of the different Eimeria species in the faeces of Norwegian ewes and lambs were investigated at weekly intervals during the grazing period on permanent and new pastures. The total oocyst counts of lambs on permanent pastures were significantly higher than those on new pastures 3–6 weeks after the beginning of the grazing period. This demonstrates that the oocysts had survived the winter in the pasture.

Species differentiation indicated that E. ahsata, E. arlongi, E. crandallis, E. ninakohlyakimovae, E. faurei and E. parva are able to survive the winter in the pasture. E. crandallis occurred in the greatest numbers, and this species might be an important contributor to the clinical symptoms which are frequently observed in Norwegian lambs about 2–3 weeks after the beginning of the grazing period. There were on the other hand, indications that E. pallida has little ability to survive the winter in the pasture. The results were generally similar for most of the species during 2 successive years.

The total number of oocysts in the faeces of ewes was low on new as well as on permanent pastures, and the species differentiation showed negligible differences. Consequently, it was concluded that the ewes could not be the source of the high oocyst numbers in lambs on the permanent pastures.

Sammendrag

Det samlede antall oocyster og antallet av hver Eimeria-art i fæces hos sau ble undersøkt med en ukes intervaller hos dyr på permanente og nye beiter. Hos lam på permanent sauebeite var det totale antall oocyster signifikant høyere enn hos lam på nye beiter 3–6 uker etter beiteperiodens begynnelse. Dette viser at oocyster kan overleve vinteren i beitet. Undersøkeiser av de enkelte artene viste at E. ahsata, E. arloingi, E. crandallis, E. ninakohlyakimovae, E. faurei og E. parva overlevet vinteren i beitet. E. crandallis opptrådte i størst mengde, og denne arten ansees for å være en vesentlig årsak til de kliniske symptomene på coccidiose som ofte sees hos lam 2–3 uker etter utslipping. E. pallida hadde liten evne til å overleve vinteren i beitet.

I to påfølgende år var det liten forskjell i opptreden av de fleste Eimeria-artene hos lam som gikk på de samme permanente beitene.

Lam som ble holdt inne 4 uker etter at de øvrige lam var sluppet ut, viste ingen signifikante forskjeller i totalantall eller antall oocyster av de enkelte Eimeria-arter sammenliknet med lam på nye beiter.

Det totale antall og antall oocyster av de enkelte Eimeria-arter hos søyer var lavt gjennom hele beitesesongen. Søyene ansees ikke for å være kilden til de høye oocystetall som finnes hos lam på permanente beiter.

References

  • Christensen, J. F.: Species differentiation in the coccidia from the domestic sheep. J. Parasit. 1938, 24, 453–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helle, O.: Coccidiose hos sau. (Coccidiosis in sheep). Medlemsbl. norske Vet.-Foren. 1964, 16, 117–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helle, O.: Epidemiologien ved coccidiose hos sau i Norge. (The epidemiology of coccidiosis of sheep in Norway). Proc. X. Nord. Vet. Congr., Stockholm 1967, 929–934.

  • Helle, O.: Winter resistant oocysts in the pasture as a source of coccidial infection in lambs. Acta vet. scand. 1970, 11, 545–564.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helle, O.: The effect on sheep parasites of grazing in alternate years by sheep and cattle. A comparison with set-stocking, and the use of anthelmintics with these grazing managements. Acta vet. scand. 1971a, Suppl. 33, 59 pp.

  • Helle, O.: Gastrointestinal parasites in sheep on lowland pastures in eastern Norway. Acta vet. scand. 1971b, Suppl. 34, 118 pp.

  • Joyner, L. P., C. C. Norton, S. F. M. Davies & C. V. Watkins: The species of coccidia occurring in cattle and sheep in the southwest of England. Parasitology 1966, 56, 531–541.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, N. D.: Protozoan parasites of domestic animals and of man. Burgess Publ. Co., Minneapolis 1961, 412 pp.

  • Levine, N. D. & V. Ivens: The coccidian parasites (Protozoa, Sporozoa) of ruminants. Univ. Illinois Press 1970, 278 pp.

  • Levine, N. D., V. Ivens, W. N. Smith & L. R. Davis: A redescription of the oocysts of Eimeria ahsata Honess, 1942, from the domestic sheep. Proc. Helminth. Soc. Wash. 1962, 29, 87–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lizcano Herrera, J. & J. Romero Rodriguez: Epizootiologia de coccidiopatias de enteres veterinario en la provincia de Granada. (Epidemiology of coccidial disease of veterinary interest in Granada province, Spain). Rev. ibér. Parasit. 1969, 29, 143–190 and 427–432. (Ref. in Vet. Bull. (Weybridge) 1970, 40, 546).

  • Masi, R. & C. B. Usher: (Coccidia in pig and sheep). Rev. Vet. milit. (B. Aires) 1970, 18, 102–103. (Ref. in Vet. Bull. (Weybridge) 1971, 41, 462).

  • Michael, E. & A. J. Probert: The prevalence of coccidia in faecal samples from sheep in North Wales. Res. Vet. Sci. 1970, 11, 402–403.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pellèrdy, L. P.: Coccidia and coccidiosis. Adakemiai Kiado, Budapest 1965, 657 pp.

  • Pout, D. D.: Coccidiosis in lambs. Vet. Rec. 1965, 77, 887.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pout, D. D.: Coccidiosis of sheep, a critical review of the disease. Vet. Bull. (Weybridge) 1969, 39, 609–618.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pout, D. D., D. C. Ostler, L. P. Joyner & C. C. Norton: The coccidial population in clinically normal sheep. Vet. Rec. 1966, 78, 455– 460.

  • Rohde, H. & R. Jungmann: Untersuchungen zur Kokzidienfauna des Merinofleischschafes. (The coccidial fauna of Mutton Merino sheep). Mh. Vet.-Med. 1970, 25, 589–593.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, H. L.: Coccidia (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) of domestic sheep in the United States, with descriptions of the sporulated oocysts of six species. J. Parasit. 1963, 49, 799–807.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soltys, A.: (The coccidia of sheep in Poland). Wiad. Parazyt. 1970, 16, 183–186. (Ref. in Vet. Bull. (Weybridge) 1970, 40, 700).

  • Tsaglis, A.: Ricerche svi coccidi della pecora e della capra in Grecia. (Research on coccidia of sheep and goats from Greece). Nuova Vet. 1970, 46, 117–129. (Ref. in Vet. Bull. (Weybridge) 1970, 40, 770).

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Mosaad Hilali

    Present address: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, UAR, Giza, Egypt

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Veterinary College of Norway, Oslo, Norway

    Oddvar Helle & Mosaad Hilali

Authors
  1. Oddvar Helle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mosaad Hilali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Participation in this work was supported by a grant from the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Helle, O., Hilali, M. Differentiation of Eimeria Species Infecting Sheep During the Grazing Season on Permanent and New Pastures Under Norwegian Conditions. Acta Vet Scand 14, 57–68 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547410

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547410

Keywords

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147