NERVOUS COCCIDIOSIS IN ADULT GIR COW – CASE REPORT

Abstract

There is a large amount of neurological diseases in cattle. The causes may be physical, inflammatory/infectious, nutritional, metabolic, toxic, degenerative, congenital anomalies or neoplasic. The nervous coccidiosis is one of these diseases, which neuropathy occurs at the same time of enteropathy. The coccidiosis is an intestinal parasitism caused by protozoa of the genus Eimeria. After the infection, a specific immunity, for each coccidia species, is developed, for this reason; the young animals are much more susceptible than the adult animals. In this report, an adult Gir cow was examined at the Large Animals Clinical Service, of the Veterinary Hospital of Uberaba, showing bloody diarrhea and deficit of equilibrium. The coproparasitological exam showed the presence of 300 oocysts per gram of feces. The animal was treated with sulfadoxin (15 mg/kg), associated to trimetoprim (3 mg/kg), and showed fast improvement on the enteric condition and gradual improvement on the neurological condition. Based on the clinical signs, on the laboratorial findings and on the response to the treatment, it may be affirmed that this animal had nervous coccidiosis, although this disease has been described as a trouble only for calves.

KEY WORDS: Cattle, Eimeria, nervous coccidiosis.