Histopathological investigation and risk factors of Coccidiosis in camels (Camelus dromedarius), Algeria

Coccidiosis in dromedaries is an intestinal protozoan infection caused by apicomplexan parasites belonging to the genus Eimeria. A prospective examination was conducted at two slaughterhouses in southern Algeria. The primary objective of this investigation was to ascertain the prevalence of intestinal parasites in camels, elucidate the associated microscopic lesions, and identify the risk factors contributing to this infestation. In pursuit of this, we procured four segments of the intestines from 31 dromedarieas that appeared healthy and displayed no symptoms. Subsequently, these samples were collected, preserved, subjected to routine processing, and subsequently stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Intestinal parasitic infection showed an incidence rate of 45.16% (14 out of 31). Specifically, two types of parasites were discerned in the intestinal specimens through microscopic examination, namely Eimeria (41.93%; 13 out of 31) (p-value = 0.046) and Taenia (3.22%; 1 out of 31) (p = 0.001). Eimeria cameli was observed in the ceacum (41.93%; 13 out of 31), jejunum (12.90%; 4 out of 31), and in one instance in the duodenum (3.22%; 1 out of 31). Furthermore, numerous development stages of coccidia were identified, including gamonts, schizonts and oocysts. Deep microscopic lesions attributed to Eimeria cameli were detected, such as enteritis, eosinophilic infiltration and inflammation. In addition, associated risk factors were identified. This study has furnished valuable insights into parasitic infestations affecting dromedaries, particularly Eimeria cameli. The molecular studies are needed to delineate the diverse variations within Eimeria strains. Effective parasite control strategies specific to dromedary camels need to be developed.