Coccidia - Poultry
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- Direct life cycle
- 1 week prepatent period
- After oocysts are ingested, sporozoites are released which penetrate the intestinal epithelium
- 2 asexual phases of multiplication called schizogony occur followed by a phase of sexual multiplication called gametogony
- Zygote develops into an oocyst which is then shed in the faeces
- Oocyst measures 20-30μm
- For each oocyst ingested, thousands are shed
- Life cycle is self-limiting
- Organisms from a single infection go through the sequence of developmental stages synchronously
- Organisms leave the body simultaneously as oocysts
- Oocysts are only infective once they have sporulated
- Sporulation requires warmth, moisture and oxygen
- Takes 2-3 days in broiler houses
- Oocysts contain 4 sporocysts each with 2 sporozoites