title: Molecular and morphologic characterization of Sarcocystis felis (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) in South American wild felids from Brazil.
abstract: Wild felids are thought to share parasites with domestic cats. However, little is known of the coccidian parasites of wild felids. We investigated the presence of Sarcocystis spp. in tissues of 6 species of 90 Neotropical small felids killed in road accidents in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil by using microscopic and molecular techniques. Formalin-fixed tissues from 28 felids were examined, and Sarcocystis felis-like sarcocysts were detected in 4 wild cats (2 Puma yagouaroundi and 2 Leopardus guttulus). By transmission electron microscopy, sarcocysts from a P. yagouaroundi were identical to S. felis from domestic cats in the USA. Direct sequencing of PCR amplicons resulted the unambiguous sequences of the ITS-1 region from 18 of the 31 PCR positive wild cats; 5 sequences from each P. yagouaroundi, and Leopardus geoffroyi, 4 sequences from L. guttulus, and 2 sequences from each Leopardus wiedii, and Leopardus colocolo. Sequences analysis of ITS-1 region revealed the highest identiy (97-99%) with that of previously describe isolates of S. felis from domestic cats in the USA and identified them as S. felis. Tissues of 1 Leopardus pardalis tested by PCR and histology were negative. The phylogenetic relationship indicated that S. felis is quite different to species which employ opossums as their definitive host. This is the first report of S. felis infection in small wild felids from Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No 26-10, Manizales, Colombia; Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: William Alberto
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Cañón-Franco
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Grupo Infección e Inmunidad, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, La Julita, AA 097 Pereira, Colombia.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: López-Orozco
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, Museu de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Luterana do Brasil, Av. Farroupilha 8001, CEP 92425-900, Canoas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Uarth
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Christoff
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 321 Trav. 14, CEP 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Schlieper
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: de Castilho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia e Clínica Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9090, CEP 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flavio Antônio Pacheco
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: Shiv Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Martins
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: sgennari@usp.br.
authors.forename: Solange Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gennari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D001938:Brazil; D002415:Cats; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D045989:Felidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010802:Phylogeny; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
keywords: Brazil; Felidae; Sarcocystis; Wild cats