Experimental Eimeria alabamensis infection in calves

Four groups of three conventionally reared 2-month-old bull calves were inoculated with 10 million to 400 million sporulated oocysts of Eimeria alabamensis isolated from Swedish calves which had diarrhoea while at pasture. Their appetite, clinical condition, growth rate and the dry matter content of their faeces were compared with those of three similar but unicoculated calves. The prepatent period was 6–8 days, and the period during which large numbers of oocysts were excreted was 2–7 days. In two of the inoculated calves only a slight softening of the faeces was observed. The other ten calves developed watery diarrhoea, had a poor appetite and appeared depressed. The clinical signs were most severe in the calves which received the highest doses and included signs of abdominal pain and a reluctance to rise. The growth rates of the infected calves were significantly reduced for 18 days after inoculation, and 71 days after inoculation they had not compensated for this period of reduced growth rate.