Globidium Infections in the Sudan with Special Reference to Globidium gilruthi (Chatton, 1910) in Sheep and Goats

Abstract

The first known Globidium on record was that observed by Flesch (1883) in the small intestine of the horse and named by him (1884) Globidium leuckarti. Following this finding, similar parasites were described by different authors affecting the kangaroo, sheep, goat, wallaby, wombat, armadillo, and camels in different parts of the world. Species recorded have been given various names. Wenyon (1926) classified them together in the single genus Globidium. Members of this genus so far described affecting farm animals include the following: G. leuckarti Flesch, 1883, in the small intestine of the horse; G. gilruthi (Chatton, 1910), in the abomasum and small intestine of sheep and goats; G. besnoiti (Marotel, 1912), affecting skin and ileum of cattle, and skin and epiglottis of horses; G. cameli Henry and Masson, 1932, in the ileum of the camel. Globidium infections were first observed in Sudan by Bennett (1927), who reported a case which he provisionally diagnosed as a peculiar sarcosporidial infection in a horse. Further investigation of mounted sections from this case proved the parasite in question to be Globidium. In 1933 the same author described 3 more cases, 2 in horses and 1 in a bull along with 2 suspected cases in a horse and a donkey. Detailed clinical and histopathological study of material from these cases gave evidence of the close conformity of this condition to that described in cattle by Besnoit and Robin (1912) and which was named Sarcocystis besnoiti in the same year by Marotel.