ABSTRACT
The South American camelids (SACs) consist of four species – llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicunas; their generic nomenclature is controversial. This chapter reviews coccidiosis in SACs in detail listing complete bibliography up to 2018, history, taxonomy, life cycles, and diagnosis. Prevalence data in llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicunas indicate SACs are commonly infected with Eimeria species. Little is known of SAC coccidiosis in the wild. However, Eimeria infections can be pathogenic in SAC dependent on age, concurrent infections, environmental conditions, stress of captivity and transportation, and nutrition in general. Experimentally infected SACs generally remained asymptomatic despite excreting large numbers of oocysts. Eimeria macusaniensis was mildly immunogenic because llamas excreted E. macusaniensis oocysts after reinoculation; in challenged llamas, the prepatent period was longer, patency was shorter, and fewer oocysts were excreted after challenge.
