Abstract
BackgroundCattle are intermediate hosts of six Sarcocystis species, among which Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis heydorni can infect humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat. In addition to the zoonotic potential, there is increasing interest in these protozoa because of the evidence supporting the role of Sarcocystis spp. in the occurrence of bovine eosinophilic myositis (BEM), a specific inflammatory myopathy which leads to carcass condemnation and considerable economic losses. Actually, all the prevalence studies carried out on cattle in Italy have been based on either morphological or 18S rDNA-based molecular techniques, most likely leading to misidentification of closely related species. Therefore, there is a strong need for new data on the prevalence of the different Sarcocystis spp. in cattle in Italy and their association with bovine eosinophilic myositis.MethodsTo reach our aim, individual striated muscle samples from BEM condemned carcasses (N = 54) and diaphragm muscle samples from randomly sampled carcasses (N = 59) were obtained from Northwest Italy slaughterhouses. Genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed by multiplex-PCR targeting 18S rDNA and cox1 genes. PCR products amplified using the genus-specific primer set in absence of the specific fragment for S. hirsuta, S. cruzi, S. hominis or S. bovifelis were sequenced to achieve species identification.ResultsSarcocystis DNA was detected in 67.8% of the samples from slaughter cattle and in 90.7% of the samples from BEM condemned carcasses. S. cruzi was identified as the most prevalent species in slaughter cattle (61%), followed by S. bovifelis (10.2%), S. hominis (8.5%) and S. hirsuta (1.7%). Notably, among the different Sarcocystis spp. detected, the presence of S. bovifelis and S. hominis was significantly higher in samples isolated from BEM condemned carcasses (46.3% and 40.7% respectively), while there was no statistically significant difference between the presence of S. cruzi or S. hirsuta in BEM condemned carcasses (42.6% and 1.8%, respectively) and randomly sampled carcasses. Furthermore, DNA sequence analysis revealed the presence of a putative new species in two carcasses.ConclusionsOur study contributes to updating the data on the prevalence of the different Sarcocystis spp. in cattle in Italy, highlighting the presence of three Sarcocystis spp., S. cruzi, S. hominis and S. bovifelis, in BEM lesions and allowing us to speculate on the possible role of S. hominis and S. bovifelis as the major sarcosporidian species involved in bovine eosinophilic myositis.Graphical
Highlights
Cattle are intermediate hosts of six Sarcocystis species, among which Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis heydorni can infect humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat
There has recently been confusion about the validity and classification of several Sarcocystis spp. from cattle, it is generally agreed that bovine muscle tissue can harbor at least six Sarcocystis spp., the well-known S. cruzi, S. hirsuta and S. hominis, with felids, canids and humans, respectively, as definitive hosts, and the recently added S. bovifelis, S. bovini and S. heydorni, with felids acting as definitive hosts for the first two species and primates acting as definitive hosts for the latter species [3,4,5]
Prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. in cattle carcasses Out of 59 individual samples from randomly sampled cattle carcasses, Sarcocystis DNA was detected in 67.8% (40/59; 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 55.06–78.36%) of the muscle samples
Summary
Cattle are intermediate hosts of six Sarcocystis species, among which Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis heydorni can infect humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat. There is a strong need for new data on the prevalence of the different Sarcocystis spp. in cattle in Italy and their association with bovine eosinophilic myositis. The genus Sarcocystis consists of more than 200 species characterized by a worldwide distribution, three of which—S. hominis, S. heydorni and S. suihominis—are known to use humans as definitive hosts [1]. These latter become infected via the ingestion of cysts in muscular tissues, while the intermediate hosts acquire infection by ingesting oocysts and sporocysts in feed or water. Among meat-producing animals, cattle (Bos taurus) are common intermediate hosts of Sarcocystis spp., whose prevalence in muscle can reach up to 100% [2]. There has recently been confusion about the validity and classification of several Sarcocystis spp. from cattle, it is generally agreed that bovine muscle tissue can harbor at least six Sarcocystis spp., the well-known S. cruzi, S. hirsuta and S. hominis, with felids, canids and humans, respectively, as definitive hosts, and the recently added S. bovifelis, S. bovini and S. heydorni, with felids acting as definitive hosts for the first two species and primates acting as definitive hosts for the latter species [3,4,5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
