Moist environments in southern states. Animals off food and depressed. Send faeces to laboratory for diagnosis. Sheep and all vertebrates are intermediate hosts. Cats are the definitive host.
Coccidial cycle occurs in cats.
Sheep become infected by ingesting sporulated oocysts from areas contaminated with cat faeces. Parasites migrate throughout the body and lodge in any of several organs and may also pass to the foetus. In the tissues they divide within cysts and cause focal lesions. Microscopic protozoa and cysts. Sometimes white flecks on placenta.