Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2023 Sep;9(5):2038-2041.
doi: 10.1002/vms3.1197. Epub 2023 Jul 4.

Epidemiological study on equine coccidiosis in North and Northeast of Iran

Faezeh Faghihzadeh Gorji  1 , Soheil Sadr  2 , Hassan Borji  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Epidemiological study on equine coccidiosis in North and Northeast of Iran

Faezeh Faghihzadeh Gorji et al. Vet Med Sci. 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Eimeria is a genus of protozoan parasites that infect many animal species, including horses. We conducted a cross-sectional study of indigenous breeds of horses from the North and Northeast of Iran to establish the prevalence and distribution of Eimeria species.

Material and methods: Using standard coprological techniques, 340 faecal samples from randomly selected horses (141 from North Iran and 199 from Northeast Iran) were examined for Eimeria oocyst.

Results: Out of 340 samples, only three from north Iran were positive for coccidiosis. Infections occurred by Eimeria leuckarti. The mean intensity of oocyst output (3-38 o.p.g.) was very low. No clinical signs of gastrointestinal disorders were noticed in horses during this study.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the prevalence of Eimeria species causing coccidiosis in indigenous breeds of horses from the North and Northeast of Iran is relatively low. These findings provide valuable insights into the health status of indigenous horses in Iran and may help guide future efforts to promote their welfare and productivity.

Keywords: Coccidiosis; Eimeria; Iran; North; Northeast; epidemiological study; horse.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Eimeria leuckarti oocyst. The size of the E. leuckarti oocyst was estimated to be (75 ± 3.75 × 58 ± 2.9) μm 95% CI.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Abbas, I. , El‐Alfy, E. , Al‐Araby, M. , Al‐Kappany, Y. , El‐Seadawy, R. , & Dubey, J. (2019). Prevalence of Eimeria species in camels (Camelus dromedarius) from Egypt and variability in structure of Eimeria cameli oocysts. Journal of Parasitology, 105(3), 395–400. - PubMed
    1. Attia, M. M. , Khalifa, M. M. , & Atwa, M. T. (2018). The prevalence and intensity of external and internal parasites in working donkeys (Equus asinus) in Egypt. Veterinary World, 11(9), 1298. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bianchi, M. V. , de Mello, L. S. , Wentz, M. F. , Panziera, W. , Soares, J. F. , Sonne, L. , Driemeier, D. , & Pavarini, S. P. (2019). Fatal parasite‐induced enteritis and typhlocolitis in horses in Southern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária, 28, 443–450. - PubMed
    1. Blake, D. P. , Worthing, K. , & Jenkins, M. C. (2020). Exploring Eimeria genomes to understand population biology: Recent progress and future opportunities. Genes, 11(9), 1103. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bundina, L. , & Khrustalev, V. (2016). The first detection of Eimeria leuckarti in horses on the territory of the Russian Federation. Russian Journal of Parasitology, 35(1), 7–12.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources