Eimeria and Cryptosporidium : Recent Advances in the Therapeutic Field

Coccidiosis is a disease caused by parasites of the genus Eimeria and Isospora belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa with a complex life cycle, affecting mainly the intestinal tract of many species of mammals and birds. It is of great economic significance in farm animals, especially chickens. Poultry coccidiosis is caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Eimeria and is associated with global economic losses in excess of $3 billion annually [1]. In chickens, seven widely recognised species of Eimeria have been well characterised and are commonly observed within the domestic fowl: E. acervulina, E. mitis, E. maxima, E. brunetti, E. necatrix, E. praecox, and E. tenella. Eimeria spp. are ubiquitous in poultry and are environmentally resistant. Coccidiosis is transmitted between hosts by the ingestion of feed, water, and litter contaminated with thick-walled oocysts that are shed in the faeces of infected animals and spread by fomites or personnel moving between houses.