Histopathological and histochemical studies on naturally occurring coccidial infections in caprines of Marathwada region

The histopathological and histochemical studies of intestines of goats affected with various species of Eimeria were conducted. Goats revealed acute to chronic enteritis evidenced by minimal to mild desquamation, disruption and exfoliation of glandular epithelial cells with bluntness of villi, exudation at the tip of villus, mild to moderate infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells, plasma cells, eosinophills and macrophages. In addition, there was hypertrophy and hyperplasia of epithelium of villi with goblet cell hyperplasia. The mature macrogamete contained a large number of eosinophilic granules, whereas, the microgametes showed presence of whorls formed by granules within them. The tissue sections stained with PAS revealed moderate positivity for presence of glycogen specially within the epithelial cells of villi wherein the schizont lodgement was marked. The tissue sections exposed to PAS Alcian blue staining revealed mild to intense positive reaction for mucin specially at the places in villus having the lodgment of gametocytes, whereas, the reaction at other portion of small intestines without invasion of endogenous stages, appeared to be comparatively less positive.