title: Prevalence and distribution patterns of Sarcocystis spp. in buffaloes in Beni-Suef, Egypt.
abstract: This study was performed for the purpose of investigating the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. in buffaloes in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt. Both macroscopic (Sarcocystis fusiformis) and microscopic (Sarcocystis levinei) cysts were recognized, and were differentiated by their morphological features and location in the tissues. Of 379 buffaloes examined in abattoirs in Beni-Suef, 299 were found to be infected, with an overall prevalence of 78.9%. Depending on age, three categorized groups of naturally infected buffaloes were examined: male buffalo calves aged 1.5-2 years, adult females aged 2-5 years, and females older than 5 years. Among these groups, infection rates were 74.5%, 82.3%, and 81.2%, respectively. Organs examined included esophagus, tongue, and heart. Macroscopic cysts were examined by the naked eye through meat inspection in abattoirs, while the pepsin-digestion method and the histological technique were applied to detect microscopic cysts. It has been found that esophagus showed the highest rate of infection among the infected organs, with both macroscopic and microscopic cysts seen in the infected buffaloes. Moreover, results of the pepsin-digestion method proved more accurate than those produced by the histological technique in terms of infection rates for the microscopic cysts. Our findings indicated that infected buffaloes aged 2-5 years showed the highest mixed infection rate (82.3%) for both types of cysts. The high prevalence of microscopic Sarcocystis spp. in Beni-Suef Governorate reflects a significant role played by stray dogs, rather than cats, in the transmission of these parasites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
authors.forename: Khaled Mohamed
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: El-Dakhly
authors.forename: Khaled A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: El-Nesr
authors.forename: El-Shaymaa
authors.initials: el-S
authors.lastname: El-Nahass
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Tokuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanai
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000469:parasitology*; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000469:parasitology; D010434:Pepsin A / Q000737:chemistry; D015995:Prevalence; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013045:Species Specificity; D014059:Tongue / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D010434:Pepsin A