Sarcocystosis.
Sarcocystis infections of animals are commonplace and of worldwide distribution. Some species can be severely pathogenic to farm animals, causing anorexia, weight-loss, abortion and even death. But perhaps because sarcocysts are so common they have frequently been regarded as innocuous. Even in the USA and UK, many cases of abortion in farm animals go undiagnosed, and it is only now that sarcocystosis is being implicated as potentially of economic importance to the farm industry. In many cases however, the major effect is likely to be subclinical, seen in farm animals only as a reduction in liveweight gain. As this review shows, the history of research on Sarcocystis has been marked by confusion and neglect, although enormous progress has been made in the last decade. But until their economic importance is fully recognized, these widespread infections seem likely to continue unchallenged.
Herbert
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IV
School of Animal Biology UCNW Bangor Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK.
Smith
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TS