Sarcocystis infections among snakes in Israel.
Natural infection with Sarcocystis has been recovered from 11 species of snakes from Israel and the adjacent territories (Cisjordan), infection was most abundant in subadults. Sporocyst dimensions obtained from the different snakes overlapped in size, but even in a same host species formed distinct size cohorts clustering either around 8.5 x 6.5 microns and 11.0 x 8.5 microns or around 11.0 x 8.5 microns and 12 x 10 microns. Sporocyst-size distribution was, however, altered following cross infections or in consecutively emitted feces. The largest cohort size conformed with the sporocyst dimensions of S. murivipera Matuscka, Heydorn, Mehlhorn, Abd-Al-Az, Diesing, Bichler 1987, described from Vipera palaestinae, one of the snake species included in the present study. Among infected snakes were rodent predators but also species feeding on smaller prey (reptiles). Sporocysts from eight of these species including some small-prey feeders, were available for infecting rodents, all, like S. murivipera, developed into sarcocysts in laboratory white mice (Mus musculus), but in none of the inoculated rodents from other genera, or reptiles. Sarcocysts found in free-ranging house mice infected V. palaestinae. Despite of an apparent conspecificity, Sarcocystis from the different snake species demonstrated a pronounced variation in their virulence to mice. Primary wall was identical in all ultrastructurally studied sarcocysts found in both house mice and laboratory mice fed on sporocysts from the diverse snake species.
Paperna
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Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. Paperna@agri.huji.ac.il
Finkelman
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D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005849:Gerbillinae; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008116:Lizards; D051379:Mice; D009115:Muridae; D051381:Rats; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D012911:Snakes / Q000469:parasitology*