Prevalence of Coccidiosis and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Calves in and Around Haramaya Town, Eastern Hararge, Oromia, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Coccidiosis is a protozoan disease caused by single-celled parasites of the genus Eimeria. It occurs worldwide and is a common cause of enteric disease in calves, resulting in economic losses due to reduced productivity and increased management costs. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of calf coccidiosis and assess associated risk factors in and around Haramaya, East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 284 calves in and around Haramaya. Faecal samples were collected and examined for Eimeria oocysts using a centrifugal faecal flotation technique with saturated sugar solution. Potential risk factors, including age, sex, breed, body condition score, farm hygiene status, management practices and study kebeles, were assessed. Data were analysed to determine associations between infection status and the hypothesised risk factors. RESULTS: Of the 284 calves examined, 64 were positive for Eimeria oocysts, yielding an overall prevalence of 22.5% (95% CI: 18.1-27.8). Sex, breed, study kebeles and management practices were not significantly associated with the prevalence of coccidiosis (P > 0.05). However, farm hygiene status showed a significant association (P < 0.05), with a prevalence of 31.3% in farms with poor hygiene compared to 14.6% in farms with good hygiene. Body condition score was also significantly associated with infection (P < 0.05), with higher prevalence observed in calves with poor body condition. In addition, calves aged 6 to <12 months showed a significantly higher prevalence than calves younger than six months (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Coccidiosis is a prevalent disease of calves in and around Haramaya. Older calves, poor body condition and inadequate farm hygiene were identified as important risk factors associated with infection. Improving farm hygiene and implementing appropriate prevention and treatment strategies are recommended to reduce the burden of coccidiosis in calves.