Seasonal prevalence and determination of Eimeria species affecting buffaloes of Jammu region

Seasonal prevalence of Eimeria species was assessed in buffaloes (n=1680) in the Jammu region, India, from August 2020 to July 2021. The overall prevalence was found to be 5.8%. A significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence (12.6%) was recorded in the post-monsoon season, whereas significantly (p<0.05) higher mean OPG (6.90±1.8) was found in the monsoon season. Based on the morphological characteristics of sporulated oocysts, nine species of Eimeria were identified. The most prevalent Eimeria species was E. bareillyi (28.6%) followed by E. zuernii (18.0%), E. bovis (14.0%), E. subspherica (12.8%), E. canadensis (9.0%), E. alabamensis (6.2%), E. ellipsoidalis (5.4%), E. auburnensis (3.3%) and E. cylindrica (2.7%). The results of the study provided relevant baseline data regarding prevalence of various eimerian species affecting buffaloes in the region.