Life Cycle of Coccidia

• The oocysts of coccidia will contain about eight parasites.   They will shed themselves in the feces of an infected animal.   These oocysts can survive up to one year.
   
• If a lamb ingests an oocyst, the parasites will be released and invade the gut of the new host.
• The parasites will then divide through asexual reproduction into a hundred or more daughter cells.
• The daughter cells will eventually break out of the gut wall to invade a new area and repeat the process.
  • In 10-14 weeks the daughter cells can multiply over a millionfold.
• During this stage, parts of the gut wall will have parasites attached that have developed into male and female sex cells.
• The female sex cells are fertilized and secrete oocysts into the gut wall and around themselves.
• The oocysts will then shed in the feces and thus will complete the lifecycle.
   
• Coccidia is caused by the protozoa Eimeria
  • There are four types of pathogenic species:
    • Eimeria Crandalis
      • Infects ileum
      • Impairs absorptive capacity, causing scours
    • Eimeria Ovinodalis
      • Infects ileum, cecum and colon
      • Impairs absorptive capacity, causing scours
      • Damages the gut's ability to regenerate causing more severe, prolonged diseases
    • Eimeria Ahsata
    • E Ovinoidali

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