Eimeria

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Eimeria
Eimeria Maxima oocysts
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Protista Phylum: Apicomplexa Class: Conoidasida Subclass: Coccidiasina Order: Eucoccidiorida Family: Eimeriidae Genus: Eimeria
Species
Eimeria acervulina Eimeria brunetti Eimeria maxima Eimeria mitis Eimeria necatrix Eimeria praecox Eimeria tenella Eimeria stiedae Eimeria meleagridis Eimeria bovis Eimeria zurnii Eimeria ahsata etc.

Eimeria is a genus of Apicomplexan parasites that includes various species responsible for the poultry disease coccidiosis.

The main problems with Eimeria is in poultry. Even though there are vaccines for the parasite, drug resistance is common as well as possible drug residues in the meat once the animal is butchered. Vaccines have been developed but one vaccine will only cover one species and not the others. So far the best practice is to vaccinate the chicks once they hatch from the egg so they are immuned for life. Infection of Eimeria shows symptoms of bloody diarrhea due to intestinal epithelim dying off since a large number of oocyts and merozites burst out of the cells. Cecums can also occur which result when necrotic tissue begin to clog it causing the organ to die out.