Acute coccidiosis in an organic dairy farm in tropical region, Brazil*

Florião M.M., Lopes B. do B., Berto B.P. & Lopes C.W.G. Acute coccidiosis in an organic dairy farm in tropical region, Brazil. [Coccidiose aguda em uma fazenda de gado leiteiro orgânico na região tropical, Brasil.] Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 37(Supl.1):6-12, 2015. Curso de Pós-Graduação em Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação em Agropecuária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, Km 7, Campus Seropédica, RJ 23897970, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] Coccidiosis or bovine eimeriosis is an intestinal disease caused by species of the genus Eimeria Schneider, 1875. It is responsible for gastrointestinal disorders and in some cases, animals died, especially the young animals. The proposed organic management for the system was relevant in establishing the health of the studied herd. Only some of the animals had clinical signs of acute eimeriosis. In nursing calves clinical signs appeared at 30 days old, during the first period of the study (2013-2014), occurring shortly after abrupt change in management, when the amount of milk supplied to animals of this extract was reduced. The other two cases occurred during the second period of the study (2014-2015), after fire in the area of pastures, causing the batch of weaned calves come into pasture destined to cows, with such abrupt change in management developed clinical signs of acute eimeriosis. The most frequent species was E. zuernii in both extracts, followed by E. cylindrica in nursing calves, and E. bovis and E. bukidnonensis in the weaned calves. The recovery of the animals was performed with the return to the proposed organic management associated with use of homeopathic medication. In addition, the animals recovered their body weight gains established for Gir breed (zebu dairy cattle) and its cross breeds.