title: Sarcocystis spp. in sheep and goats: frequency of infection and species identification by morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular tests in Bahia, Brazil.
abstract: Sarcocystis spp. are cyst-forming coccidia that infect numerous animals species, including several livestock species. Despite the importance of sheep and goat production in Brazil, little it is known about the Sarcocystis species that infect small ruminants in the country and their potential impact on meat condemnation due to the presence of macroscopic cysts of the parasite. The aims of the present study were to determine the frequency of infection by Sarcocystis spp. in goats and sheep intended for human consumption in Bahia State, Brazil, as well as to identify the parasite species in selected samples. The entire tongue, esophagus, and heart were collected from 120 goats and 120 sheep. Tissues were examined for Sarcocystis spp. by macroscopic evaluation, light microscopy, electron microscopy, and molecular tests. Microscopic cysts of Sarcocystis spp. were detected in 95.8 % of sheep and 91.6 % of goats. Using either transmission electron microscopy or partial sequencing of the 18S region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) for species identification, Sarcocystis tenella and Sarcocystis arieticanis were observed in sheep and Sarcocystis capracanis in goats. Macroscopic cysts were not detected in the analyzed samples. We concluded that goats and sheep destined for human consumption in Bahia possess high frequencies of Sarcocystis infection. Carcass condemnation due to Sarcocystis macrocysts seems to be rare in the studied region. S. arieticanis and S. capracanis were confirmed for the first time by electron microscopy or by molecular tests in small ruminants from Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros 500, Ondina, CEP 40170-110, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta Vasconcelos
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.affiliation: Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros 500, Ondina, CEP 40170-110, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Iris Daniela S
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Meneses
authors.affiliation: Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros 500, Ondina, CEP 40170-110, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Müller
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribeiro-Andrade
authors.affiliation: Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros 500, Ondina, CEP 40170-110, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogério Fernando
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: de Jesus
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Gado de Corte, Avenida Rádio Maia 830, 79106-550, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flábio Ribeiro
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.affiliation: Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros 500, Ondina, CEP 40170-110, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. pita@ufba.br.
authors.forename: Luís F Pita
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Gondim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
keywords: Goat; Molecular; Sarcocystis; Sheep; Ultrastructure