ABSTRACT
Coccidiosis is an economically important disease of cattle worldwide. Cattle coccidia belong to the genus Eimeria. This chapter focuses on coccidiosis in cattle. Bovine coccidiosis is diagnosed frequently not in individual animals but as a herd health issue. Studies indicate that water hygiene management, climate, and bedding are important factors influencing the risk of severe coccidiosis for indoor-reared calves. Inflammation markers in blood serum, like haptoglobin and serum amyloid A, are increased in calves severely affected by Eimeria zuernii coccidiosis, underlining the importance of the inflammatory response in clinical disease. Clinical coccidiosis causes obvious direct losses; however, the clinical disease only accounts for a limited proportion of lost revenues. Removal and inactivation of oocysts from the environment is of major importance to prevent coccidiosis. Triazines are approved for control of bovine coccidiosis in certain countries only. As an alternative, sulfonamides are widely used for coccidiosis treatment, mainly therapeutically.
