CAPRINE EIMERIOSIS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: ONE HEALTH PERSPECTIVES, PARASITIC BIODIVERSITY AND CHALLENGES FOR GOAT FARMING IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/revgeov16n5-159Keywords:
Coccidiosis, One Health, Semi-arid, Animal Health Geography, Family FarmingAbstract
Goat farming represents a strategic activity for sustainable rural development in the Brazilian northeastern semi-arid region, integrating food security, income generation and socioeconomic resilience. However, it faces significant sanitary challenges, particularly gastrointestinal parasitoses caused by Eimeria spp., protozoans of the phylum Apicomplexa with estimated global prevalence of 62.9% in goats. This study reviews scientific knowledge on caprine eimeriosis from a multidisciplinary perspective, integrating Animal Health Geography, One Health approach and parasitic biodiversity, emphasizing implications for northeastern family farming. The spatial distribution of Eimeria is modulated by geoclimatic determinants (temperature, precipitation, altitude), management systems and landscape structure, presenting substantial heterogeneity between regions. More than 26 species of Eimeria have been identified globally in goats, with high diversity in tropical and semi-arid regions. In the northeastern context, structural limitations (low technification, inadequate sanitary management, restricted access to technical assistance) amplify the economic impacts of eimeriosis on family farming. Knowledge about parasitic biodiversity in Maranhão remains incipient, demanding contextualized investigations integrating molecular taxonomy, spatial epidemiology and assessment of socioeconomic impacts. The One Health approach reveals critical interconnections between animal, human and environmental health, grounding the need for integrated public policies that strengthen animal health, technical assistance and agroecological practices adapted to the semi-arid region, contributing to sustainability and resilience of family goat farming in face of climate change.
Downloads
References
ALCALÁ-CANTO, Y.; FIGUEROA-CASTILLO, J.; IBARRA-VELARDE, F.; VERA‐MONTENEGRO, Y.; CERVANTES-VALENCIA, M.; ALBERTI-NAVARRO, A. First database of the spatial distribution of Eimeria species of cattle, sheep and goats in Mexico. Parasitology Research, v. 119, p. 1057-1074, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06548-8
ALI, E.; GHAFAR, A.; ÁNGELES-HERNÁNDEZ, J.; YASEEN, M.; GAUCI, C.; BEVERIDGE, I.; BAXENDELL, S.; JABBAR, A. Global prevalence of Eimeria species in goats: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, v. 11, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1537171
BAWM, S.; HTUN, L. Management and Control of Eimeria Infection in Goats. In: Goat Science - Environment, Health and Economy, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98979
CARLSON, C.; BURGIO, K.; DOUGHERTY, E.; PHILLIPS, A.; BUENO, V.; CLEMENTS, C.; CASTALDO, G.; DALLAS, T.; CIZAUSKAS, C.; CUMMING, G.; DOÑA, J.; HARRIS, N.; JOVANI, R.; MIRONOV, S.; MUELLERKLEIN, O.; PROCTOR, H.; GETZ, W. Parasite biodiversity faces extinction and redistribution in a changing climate. Science Advances, v. 3, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1602422
CHARLIER, J.; GHEBRETINSAE, A.; LEVECKE, B.; DUCHEYNE, E.; CLAEREBOUT, E.; VERCRUYSSE, J. Climate-driven longitudinal trends in pasture-borne helminth infections of dairy cattle. International Journal for Parasitology, v. 46, n. 13-14, p. 881-888, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.09.001
CHARTIER, C.; PARAUD, C. Coccidiosis due to Eimeria in sheep and goats, a review. Small Ruminant Research, v. 103, p. 84-92, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2011.10.022
COHEN, J.; SAUER, E.; SANTIAGO, O.; SPENCER, S.; ROHR, J. Divergent impacts of warming weather on wildlife disease risk across climates. Science, v. 370, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb1702
DE FREITAS LIMA, M.; DE SOUZA, S.; DE SÁ, I.; SANTANA, O. Deep learning with aerial surveys for extensive livestock hotspot recognition in the Brazilian Semi-arid Region. Ciência e Agrotecnologia, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-7054202347010922
DE MACEDO, L.; BEZERRA-SANTOS, M.; DE MENDONÇA, C.; ALVES, L.; RAMOS, R.; DE CARVALHO, G. Prevalence and risk factors associated with infection by Eimeria spp. in goats and sheep in Northeastern Brazil. Journal of Parasitic Diseases, v. 44, p. 607-612, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-020-01235-3
DESTOUMIEUX-GARZÓN, D.; MAVINGUI, P.; BOETSCH, G.; BOISSIER, J.; DARRIET, F.; DUBOZ, P.; FRITSCH, C.; GIRAUDOUX, P.; ROUX, L.; MORAND, S.; PAILLARD, C.; PONTIER, D.; SUEUR, C.; VOITURON, Y. The One Health Concept: 10 Years Old and a Long Road Ahead. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, v. 5, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2018.00014
ENGIDAW, S.; ANTENEH, M.; DEMIS, C. Coccidiosis in Small Ruminants, 2015.
FARIAS, A.; ALVES, J.; ALVES, F.; PINHEIRO, R.; FACCIOLI-MARTINS, P.; LIMA, A.; AZEVEDO, S.; ALVES, C. Characterization of goat production systems in five states of northeastern Brazil. Semina: Ciências Agrárias, 2019. https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2019v40n6supl3p3691
FRAGOSO, E.; COELHO, P.; SOUZA, P.; NETO, A.; SANTIAGO, A.; PACHECO, C.; MELO, R. Agroecology and family farming: A perspective of sustainability in the brazilian Semiarid region. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 2020. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.712.20
IBGE - INSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DE GEOGRAFIA E ESTATÍSTICA. Censo Agropecuário 2017: Resultados Definitivos. Disponível em: https://censoagro2017.ibge.gov.br. Acesso em: 10 jan. 2025.
KARIMZADEH, M.; KOJOURI, G.; AZIZI, H.; PIRALI, Y.; SHIRAN, B. Small Ruminants Coccidiosis in High Altitude Region of Iran. Asian Research Journal of Agriculture, 2022. https://doi.org/10.9734/arja/2022/v15i430174
KEETON, S.; NAVARRE, C. Coccidiosis in Large and Small Ruminants. The Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice, v. 34, n. 1, p. 201-208, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2017.10.009
LINDOSO, D.; ROCHA, J.; DEBORTOLI, N.; PARENTE, I.; EIRÓ, F.; BURSZTYN, M.; RODRIGUES-FILHO, S. Integrated assessment of smallholder farming's vulnerability to drought in the Brazilian Semi-arid: a case study in Ceará. Climatic Change, v. 127, p. 93-105, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1116-1
MACEDO, L.; SANTOS, M.; DA SILVA, N.; BARROS, G.; ALVES, L.; GIANNELLI, A.; RAMOS, R.; CARVALHO, G. Morphological and epidemiological data on Eimeria species infecting small ruminants in Brazil. Small Ruminant Research, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2018.12.006
MAIA, A.; CESANO, D.; MIYAMOTO, B.; EUSÉBIO, G.; SILVA, P. Climate change and farm-level adaptation: the Brazilian Sertão. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, v. 10, p. 729-751, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijccsm-04-2017-0088
MAIA, A.; SILVEIRA, R.; FONSECA, C.; BURNEY, J.; CESANO, D. Climate resilience programmes and technical efficiency: evidence from the smallholder dairy farmers in the Brazilian semi-arid region. Climate and Development, v. 14, p. 197-207, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2021.1904812
MAKAWI, Z. Isolation and identification of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 species (Apicomplexa, Eimeriidae) from goats in Wasit Province, Iraq. Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum, 2024. https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2024.18.2.0431
MILAZZO, A.; LIU, J.; MULTANI, P.; STEELE, S.; HOON, E.; CHABER, A. One Health implementation: A systematic scoping review using the Quadripartite One Health Joint Plan of Action. One Health, v. 20, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101008
NASCIMENTO, D.; SANTOS, M. Characterization of Family Farming in the Semi-Arid Region of Bahia. Journal of Animal Science, v. 9, p. 231-248, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5296/jas.v9i1.17997
OLIVEIRA, L.; DE OLIVEIRA FELISBERTO, N.; NOGUEIRA, D.; SILVA, A.; BIAGIOLI, B.; GONZÁLEZ-ESQUIVEL, C.; DE ALMEIDA TEIXEIRA, I. Typology of dairy goat production systems in a semiarid region of Brazil. Small Ruminant Research, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106777
OTRANTO, D.; STRUBE, C.; XIAO, L. Zoonotic parasites: the One Health challenge. Parasitology Research, v. 120, p. 4073-4074, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07221-9
PALSANIYA, D.; KUMAR, S.; DAS, M.; RAI, S.; KUMAR, T.; CHAUDHARY, M.; CHAND, K.; AHMED, A.; SAHAY, C.; KUMAR, P. Rain water harvesting, agroforestry and goat based intensification for livelihood resilience in drought prone rainfed smallholder farming system: a case for semi-arid tropics. Agroforestry Systems, v. 97, p. 1405-1419, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-023-00863-x
PETERSEN, P.; SILVEIRA, L. Agroecology, Public Policies and Labor-Driven Intensification: Alternative Development Trajectories in the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region. Sustainability, v. 9, p. 535, 2017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9040535
PITT, S.; GUNN, A. The One Health Concept. British Journal of Biomedical Science, v. 81, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3389/bjbs.2024.12366
RIBEIRO, N.; COSTA, R.; FILHO, E.; RIBEIRO, M.; BOZZI, R. Effects of the dry and the rainy season on endocrine and physiologic profiles of goats in the Brazilian semi-arid region. Italian Journal of Animal Science, v. 17, p. 454-461, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1080/1828051x.2017.1393320
ROTHER, E. T. Revisão sistemática X revisão narrativa. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, v. 20, n. 2, p. v-vi, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-21002007000200001
RUFINO-MOYA, P.; LEVA, Z.; DE PAULA GONÇALVES REIS, L.; GARCÍA, A.; DI GENOVA, D.; GÓMEZ, A.; GARCÍA, F.; MARTÍNEZ-MORENO, F. Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Small Ruminant Farms in Southern Spain. Animals, v. 14, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111668
SHANMUGAM, P.; SANGEETHA, S.; PRABU, P.; VARSHINI, S.; RENUKADEVI, A.; RAVISANKAR, N.; PARASURAMAN, P.; PARTHIPAN, T.; SATHEESHKUMAR, N.; NATARAJAN, S.; GOPI, M. Crop-livestock-integrated farming system: a strategy to achieve synergy between agricultural production, nutritional security, and environmental sustainability. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1338299
THOMPSON, A. Parasite zoonoses and wildlife: One health, spillover and human activity. International Journal for Parasitology, v. 43, p. 1079-1088, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.06.007
TIAN, Y.; LI, Z.; LUO, X.; HU, Z.; XU, T.; WU, K.; CAO, M.; PRADHAN, P.; CHEN, M.; LIN, H. Assessing coupling coordination between human-animal-environmental health for advancing uniform progress in One Health. One Health, v. 20, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101013
ZINSSTAG, J.; KAISER-GROLIMUND, A.; HEITZ-TOKPA, K.; SREEDHARAN, R.; LUBROTH, J.; CAYA, F.; STONE, M.; BROWN, H.; BONFOH, B.; DOBELL, E.; MORGAN, D.; HOMAIRA, N.; KOCK, R.; HATTENDORF, J.; CRUMP, L.; MAUTI, S.; VILAS, V.; SAIKAT, S.; ZUMLA, A.; HEYMANN, D.; DAR, O.; ROCQUE, S. Advancing One human-animal-environment Health for global health security: what does the evidence say? The Lancet, v. 401, p. 591-604, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(22)01595-1
