UK Ovacyte LA & EQ Brochure - Flipbook - Page 5
Type B Coccidia:
Sheep carry numerous Eimeria coccidia species, but only a handful are genuinely pathogenic. A standard FEC reports
oocyst numbers, not species — so two samples with identical counts can represent very different clinical risk.
Why speciation matters
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The principal pathogenic species — E. ovinoidalis, E. crandallis, E. weybridgensis— are the ones most associated with
diarrhoea, poor growth, intestinal damage and production loss.
Traditional species identi昀椀cation relies on sporulation followed by detailed microscopy — a labour-intensive process
taking 10–12 days.
Treating on oocyst numbers alone risks dosing lambs that don’t need it, while clinically signi昀椀cant cases go untreated.
What OvaCyte™ Speciation delivers
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Rapid, automated estimate of the proportion of pathogenic Type B coccidia
in a sample — without sporulation or manual microscopic identi昀椀cation.
Strong correlation with the sporulation-based reference method.
Helps vets distinguish clinically signi昀椀cant infections from those
dominated by less pathogenic species — supporting sharper treatment and
昀氀ock health decisions.
Nematodirus battus
Nematodirus battus eggs are larger than other strongyle eggs and can be told apart from general Nematodirus species
under the microscope — but distinguishing N. battus from its less pathogenic relatives (N. 昀椀licollis, N. spathiger) reliably at
the point of care has, until now, required specialist expertise.
Why speciation matters
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N. battus is considered one of the most signi昀椀cant causes of disease in young lambs, capable of causing sudden death
even at low egg counts.
It’s unusual hatching biology means mass larval emergence can occur earlier — or later — in the season than
traditionally expected.
Differentiating N. battus from co-grazing Nematodirus species is critical, since not all of them carry the same disease
risk.
What OvaCyte™ Speciation delivers
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Rapid, in-clinic differentiation of Nematodirus battus from other Nematodirus species alongside the standard FEC.
Supports timely, targeted treatment decisions during the critical spring risk window — and beyond it.
Helps vets distinguish clinically signi昀椀cant infections from those dominated by less pathogenic species — supporting
sharper treatment and 昀氀ock health decisions.
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