Infection with Eimeria species in hair sheep reared in Sobral, Ceara State, Brazil

Thirty lambs of both sexes and 10 dams reared under extensive exploitation conditions were used to determine the species of the genus Eimeria that occ ur in sheep in the municipality of Sobral, Ceara, Brazil, and to monitor th e natural course of the infection with eimerids in sheep from birth to six months of life. Nine Eimeria species were identified in young sheep : E. pa rva, E. granulosa, E. crandallis, E. ahsata, E. ovina, E. ovinoidalis, E. c aprovina, E. faurei, and E. intricata. The same species were identified in adult sheep, except for E. caprovina and E. intricata. The lambs presented the highest levels of infection (oocyst excretion), in decreasing order of intensity, during the 9th, 11th and 15th weeks of life, with the infection declining with age. The oocyst excretion for adult sheep was low, never exc eeding 220 oocysts per gram feces during the study period.