Virginia Marugan-Hernandez

Apicomplexan parasites can cause many human and/or animal diseases. This group of intracellular protozoa includes malarial parasites of the genus Plasmodium and zoonotic pathogens such as Cryptosporidium species and Toxoplasma gondii. Many apicomplexans have a persistent impact on animal welfare and livestock production including species of Babesia, Cystoisospora, Eimeria, Neospora and Theileria. ...

BackgroundSeven species of the genus Eimeria (Apicomplexa, Coccidia) cause chicken coccidiosis, a disease with a huge economic impact in the poultry industry. Disease pathology is characterised by diarrhoea, malabsorption and for some species haemorrhage, and has a severe impact on animal welfare, efficiency of feed conversion and weight gain. Eimeria parasites disseminate readily through flocks v ...

 BackgroundThe poultry industry provides the principal source of animal protein in many developed and developing countries [1]. The adaptability of poultry production systems has fuelled expansion of the industry to most areas of the world with high productivity and relatively low costs. However, intensive systems and backyard flocks remain threatened by viral, bacterial and parasitic infecti ...