Coccidiosis due to various species of Eimeria in the stunted and diarrheic native turkey poults: Pathology and morphological characterization of oocysts

Abstract

Fecal samples of 60 turkey poults that showed chronic progressive symptoms like unthriftiness, loss ofweight, diarrhea were collected from the most rural areas with high rate of turkey population in north andwest part of country for intestinal protozoan parasites. According to the morphological characteristics, likeshape, presence or absence of micropyle, and/or polar granule, the 5 different types of eimerian oocyctswere diagnosed in the stool of infected birds, including E. adenoids, E. meleagridis, E. dispersa, Eimeriaspp (E. innocua or E. subrotunda) and E. meleagrimitis. Various life- cycle stages of Eimeria wereidentified in the epithelial lining of inflamed intestine of the affected turkey poults.