Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) new intermediate host of Sarcocystis svanai (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae).
Several Sarcocystis spp. have carnivores as definitive host and sarcocysts are common in muscles of herbivores (intermediate host). However, sarcocysts have been found in muscles of wild and domestic carnivores suggesting they are intermediate host for some Sarcocystis spp. Here, we report mature sarcocysts in the muscles of Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus). A total of 36 free-living foxes were analyzed. Different skeletal muscles were assessed by microscopic and molecular methods. Cysts and/or DNA of Sarcocystis sp. were detected in 61.1% (22/36) foxes. Histopathology revealed the presence of sarcocysts in 52.8% (19/36) foxes. The tongue and masseter were the muscles more frequently infected. Of all the samples processed by homogenization of pooled muscles of each animal, 45.4% (10/22) evidenced muscle cysts and 68.2% (15/22) resulted positives by PCR. Individual cysts obtained from the ten positive samples in direct microscopic examination were all positive by PCR. Five amplicons from individual cysts from different samples were selected for sequencing together with four PCR products obtained from the pooled muscles. All nine sequences shared a high identity among them (99.8-100%) and showed the highest identity by BLAST (99%) with a S. svanai sequence (KM362428) from a North American dog. By transmission electron microscopy, the sarcocyst wall was thin (<1μm), had minute undulations, with tiny evaginations and without evident villar protrusions. The cyst wall type is referred as "type 1". Sarcocystis svanai infects L. gymnocercus with a high prevalence and the presence of mature sarcocysts suggests the role of the Pampas fox as natural intermediate host. The definitive host of S. svanai remains unknown.
Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNMdP, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina. Electronic address: nathyvet@hotmail.com.
Nathalia P
NP
Scioscia
Grupo Sanidad Animal, INTA, Ruta 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Argentina.
Leandro
L
Olmos
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Grupo Recursos Naturales y Gestión Ambiental, INTA, Ruta 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Argentina.
Antonella
A
Gorosábel
Grupo Recursos Naturales y Gestión Ambiental, INTA, Ruta 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Argentina.
Lucía
L
Bernad
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Grupo Recursos Naturales y Gestión Ambiental, INTA, Ruta 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Argentina.
Julieta
J
Pedrana
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Grupo Sanidad Animal, INTA, Ruta 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Argentina.
Yanina P
YP
Hecker
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Grupo Sanidad Animal, INTA, Ruta 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Argentina.
Ignacio
I
Gual
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNLP, Calle 60 y 118, La Plata, Argentina.
M
M
Laura Gos
Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNMdP, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.
Guillermo M
GM
Denegri
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Grupo Sanidad Animal, INTA, Ruta 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Argentina.
Dadín P
DP
Moore
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNLP, Calle 60 y 118, La Plata, Argentina.
Gastón
G
Moré
D000818:Animals; D005589:Foxes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000469:parasitology*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D013020:South America; D014059:Tongue / Q000469:parasitology
D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
Histopathology; Molecular characteristics; Muscle; Sarcocystis; Ultrastructure; Wild canid