Editing Coccidia (section)

==Coccidiosis==

===Transmission===
Infected animals spread spores called [[Apicomplexan life cycle|oocysts]] in their stool. The oocysts mature, called sporulation. When another animal passes over the location where the feces were deposited, it may pick up the spores, which it then ingests when grooming itself. Mice may ingest the spores and become infected. When another animal eats the mouse, it becomes infected.

Some species of coccidia are transmissible to humans, including [[toxoplasma]] and [[cryptosporidium]].<ref name=marvista>{{cite web|title=Coccidia|url=http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_coccidia.html|website=Mar Vista Animal Medical Center|access-date=28 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101031440/http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_coccidia.html|archive-date=1 November 2015}}</ref>

===Infection===
Inside the host, the sporulated oocyst opens, and eight sporozoites are released.  Each one finds a home in an intestinal cell and starts the process of reproduction.  These offspring are called merozoites.  When the cell is stuffed full of merozoites, it bursts open, and each merozoite finds its own intestinal cell to continue the cycle.<ref name=marvista />

===Symptoms of infection===
As the infection continues, millions of intestinal cells may become infected.  As they break open, they produce a bloody, watery diarrhea.  This can cause dehydration, and can lead to death in young or small pets.<ref name=marvista /> Coccidian infections display symptoms mainly from the digestive tract including diarrhea, inflammation, intestinal pain or damage, vomiting, and irregular nutrition. These can lead to weight loss or reduced growth development, anemia, exhaustion, and even death in severe cases.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | vauthors = Yan X, Liu M, He S, Tong T, Liu Y, Ding K, Deng H, Wang P | display-authors = 6 | title = An epidemiological study of gastrointestinal nematode and Eimeria coccidia infections in different populations of Kazakh sheep | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 16 | issue = 5 | pages = e0251307 | date = 2021-05-19 | pmid = 34010315 | pmc = 8133398 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0251307 | veditors = Clegg S | doi-access = free | bibcode = 2021PLoSO..1651307Y }}</ref>

===Diagnosis and treatment===
Coccidiosis can be diagnosed by finding oocysts in [[Stool test|fecal smears]]. In early stages of the disease, there may be very few oocysts being shed, and a negative test does not rule out the disease.

Coccidiosis is most commonly treated through the administration of [[coccidiostat]]s, a group of medications that stop coccidia from reproducing. In dogs and cats, the most commonly administered coccidiostat is [[Sulfonamide (medicine)|sulfa-based]] [[antibiotic]]s.  Once reproduction stops, the animal can usually recover on its own, a process that can take a few weeks, depending on the severity of the infection and the strength of the animal's immune system.<ref name=marvista />