ABSTRACT
The water buffalo is important to the economy of several countries in Asia and South America, and there are also isolated herds in Europe. This chapter reviews in detail history, taxonomy, and biology of coccidia and coccidiosis in buffaloes and summarizes the essential information concerning the biology of bubaline coccidiosis. Eleven or more Eimeria species, originally described from cattle, have been reported in buffalo. In experimentally infected buffaloes, endogenous development occurred in jejunum and ileum. Clinical coccidiosis has been reported in 3-week-old to 4-month-old buffaloes from India, Brazil, and the Netherlands. Gamonts and oocysts of Eimeria bareillyi have also been noted in ileum of naturally infected buffaloes in samples obtained at a slaughter in Mathura, India. Epidemiological investigations revealed that buffaloes can acquire Eimeria infection soon after birth. Several anticoccidial drugs are effective in treating coccidiosis in buffaloes. Sulfadimidine and amprolium prophylaxis were effective against experimentally induced Eimeria bareillyi coccidiosis.
