Lesions Associated with Coccidiosis in Nursing Piglets

Of 45 piglets with diarrhea, 28 had coccidiosis, with no evidence of concurrent viral infection. Villous atrophy and necrotic enteritis were the characteristic lesions, and were more severe in piglets with combined viral and coccidial infections than with coccidiosis alone. Necrotic enteritis presumably was caused by bacterial invasion of the villous lamina propria at foci denuded of epithelium by coccidia, viruses or both. Consistent lesions associated with coccidia in piglets not infected by other primary enteric pathogens suggest that coccidia are the cause of significant clinical disease in nursing piglets 6 to 15 days old.