Authors : Seyed Reza Hosseini, Amir Shakerian and Nahid Tahamtan
Abstract: Sarcocyst species are intracellular protozoan parasites with an intermediate-definitive host life cycle based on a prey-predator relationship. A sexual stages develop in intermediate hosts after they ingest the oocyst stage from definitive-host feces and terminate with the formation of intramuscular cysts (Sarcocystis). The present study was carried out to find out the incidence of sarcocystosis (in sheep) in three slaughterhouses in Iran. A total of 650 muscle samples of 325 sheep from 4 different age groups were surveyed by the digestion and impression smear examination methods for the presence of Sarcocystis. After slaughtering, esophagus and diaphragm were examined for macroscopic cyst of Sarcocystis. For microscopic cysts, the samples were taken from each one of these tissues for impression smear (Dob smear) and digestion. Macrocysts were found in 4.3% (14/325) of sheep and the highest prevalence was detected in the diaphragm in all age groups. Microcysts were present in 92% (299/325) of sheep. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) statistically between sensitivities of two diagnostic methods (digestion and impression smear) in detecting Sarcocystis species. These results reveal the fact that the environment is heavily contaminated with sporocysts and the ingestion of sporocysts by sheep begins from the young ages in Iran.
Seyed Reza Hosseini, Amir Shakerian and Nahid Tahamtan, 2012. Survey of Sarcocystis Infection in Slaughtered Sheep in Isfahan, Qom and Shahre-Kord, Iran. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11: 2683-2686.