Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Coccidiosis in Ethiopian domestic ruminants - prevalence and risk
By Ambaw YG et al.Ā·2026Ā·Department of Veterinary MedicineĀ·View original on Europe PMC ā
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Original publication title: Prevalence, species composition, and associated factors of coccidiosis among domestic ruminants in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Species:
- cattle
Plain-English summary
Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease that can seriously affect the health and productivity of farm animals like goats, sheep, and cattle. A recent study looked at the prevalence of this disease in Ethiopia and found that about 42.4% of domestic ruminants are affected, with goats and sheep having higher rates than cattle. The study also noted that the disease is more common in certain regions, especially Tigray and Addis Ababa, and that animals in poorer health are at greater risk. The findings highlight the need for better prevention and control measures to address this issue, as it has significant economic implications for farmers. Overall, the treatment and management of coccidiosis in these animals are crucial, but currently, the problem is not receiving enough attention.
Abstract
Coccidiosis is a significant parasitic disease that affects the productivity and health of domestic ruminants worldwide. Although coccidiosis is one of the major causes of economic loss in ruminant farming, there is a lack of comprehensive evidence on the epidemiology of the disease in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to comprehensively analyze the pooled prevalence of coccidiosis and associated risk factors with identified <i>Eimeria</i> species in domestic ruminants in Ethiopia. Following the PRISMA guidelines, literature searches were conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to retrieve articles published in Ethiopia between 2000 and 2025. This review identified a total of 31 articles; however, the number of studies increased to 40, as some articles reported multiple species. After heterogeneity assessment, the random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of coccidiosis. The estimated pooled prevalence was 42.4% (95% CI: 35.6, 49.1) among domestic ruminants in Ethiopia. In terms of species, the prevalence was higher in goats, 51.9% (95% CI: 29.1, 74.7) and sheep, 51.1% (95% CI: 35.3, 66.8), compared to cattle, 37.5% (95% CI: 30.5, 44.5). The prevalence of coccidiosis in ruminants showed a minor decreasing temporal trend over time (p = 0.061). Regarding region, the prevalence was higher in Tigray 81.8% (95% CI: 73.1, 90.6), followed by Addis Ababa 53.8% (95% CI: 32.4, 75.3), Oromia 40.6% (95% CI: 33.1, 48.0) and lower in SNNPR 20.0% (95% CI: 14.6, 25.4) with observed statistical difference (p < 0.001). <i>Eimeria bovis</i> (17.4%) and <i>Eimeria zurnii</i> (13.1%) were the most frequently identified and pathogenic <i>Eimeria</i> species in cattle. Ruminants living in the Tigray region and Addis Ababa, those with poor or medium body condition scores, studies with <384 samples and 2007-2015 published articles were significant risk factors for the prevalence of coccidiosis. This meta-analysis revealed that the prevalence of coccidiosis is high in domestic ruminants, but it is still neglected in Ethiopia, posing a significant economic impact on animal health and production. Therefore, planned preventive measures and control efforts are needed.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42011249