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Eimeria

Eimeria

Eimeria

Taxonomy

  • Kingdom Protozoa
  • Phylum Apicomplexa
  • Class Conoidasida
  • Order Eucoccidiorida
  • Family Eimeriidae

Final host

  • Mammals and birds

    Morphology

  • Sporulated oocysts contain four sporocysts, each with two sporozoites
  • Morphology and size of the oocyst variate according to species

    Cycle

  • Direct (faecal-oral route)

    Location

  • Intestine (enterocytes)
  • Only two species locate in epitellial cells of bile ducts or kidney

    Feeding

  • Holozoic (micropores)

    Diagnostic

  • Oocyst (non-sporulated when passed in faeces)
  • Requires further sporulation for specific identification

    Transmission

  • Sporulated oocyst