Prevalence and Risk Factor Identification of Calf Coccidiosis in and Around Bahir Dar Town in Amhara Regional State, North West Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 in and around Bahir Dar town to determine the prevalence of Coccidia infection in calves and to identify associated risk factors. Fecal samples were collected from a total of 384 randomly selected calves with the age of under 2 years. Collected fecal samples were examined for the presence of Eimeria oocyst by flotation technique. Out of 384 calves, 73 (19.01%) were found to be positive for Eimeria oocyst. Analysis of potential risk factors has revealed that; there was statistically significant difference (P< 0.05) in the prevalence of coccidia infection to different age groups of animals, fecal consistency, origin, body condition, hygienic status and management system. However, the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05) between coccidia infection with sex and breed of calves. In conclusion, the present finding has demonstrated that calf coccidia are one of the most important pathogens in calves in the study area. Therefore, further epidemiological investigations are required to determine the Eimeria species composition and different agro ecological risk factor on the occurrence of the disease.