CLINICAL SIGNS
The majority of the many echidnas that shed coccidial oocysts in their faeces, often in high numbers, are asymptomatic, indicating subclinical disease. They may also be parasitaemic.
Enteric and systemic coccidiosis may be difficult to distinguish clinically in the early stages. Echidnas with enteric coccidiosis may or may not be shedding oocysts and may or may not be parasitae- mic. Those with systemic coccidiosis are always parasi- taemic. Enteric coccidiosis (i.e. there is pathology) may be subclinical. Mild to severe enteric signs (primarily diarrhoea) without progression to more generalised signs, suggest only enteric infection. Clinical signs common to both include: weight loss; inappetence; failure to thrive; diarrhoea (acute or chronic, mild, profuse, liquid, haemorrhagic, mucoid, gaseous, malodorous); lethargy; vomiting; signs of pain (inappetence, lethargy, reduced activity, hunched posture); and shock (severe weakness, collapse, unresponsiveness, bradypnoea, tachycardia). Clinical signs of systemic coccidiosis are often attributable to the organs affected and may include neurological signs (head tilt, tremors, obtundation, coma), respiratory signs and proptosis (n = 1) (the mechanism for which is unclear). Signs caused by concurrent disease (see section 5.3) may further confuse the clinical presentation.5.
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