Abstract
BackgroundBirds of the family Laridae have not been intensively examined for infections with Sarcocystis spp. To date, sarcocysts of two species, S. lari and S. wobeseri, have been identified in the muscles of gulls. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the species richness of Sarcocystis in the herring gull, Larus argentatus, from Lithuania.MethodsIn the period between 2013 and 2019, leg muscles of 35 herring gulls were examined for sarcocysts of Sarcocystis spp. Sarcocystis spp. were characterised morphologically based on a light microscopy study. Four sarcocysts isolated from the muscles of each infected bird were subjected to further molecular examination. Sarcocystis species were identified by means of ITS1 sequence analysis.ResultsSarcocysts were detected in 9/35 herring gulls (25.7%). Using light microscopy, one morphological type of sarcocysts was observed. Sarcocysts were microscopic, thread-like, had a smooth and thin (about 1 µm) cyst wall and were filled with banana-shaped bradyzoites. On the basis of ITS1 sequences, four Sarcocystis species, S. columbae, S. halieti, S. lari and S. wobeseri, were identified. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that a single infected herring gull could host two Sarcocystis species indistinguishable under light microscopy.ConclusionsLarus argentatus is the first bird species found to act as intermediate host of four Sarcocystis spp. According to current knowledge, five species, S. falcatula, S. calchasi, S. wobeseri, S. columbae and S. halieti can use birds belonging to different orders as intermediate hosts.
Highlights
Birds of the family Laridae have not been intensively examined for infections with Sarcocystis spp
The comparison of internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) sequences showed that the morphologically similar sarcocysts belonged to four different species of Sarcocystis, S. columbae, S. halieti, S. lari and S. wobeseri (Fig. 1)
Two Sarcocystis species were recorded in gulls: S. wobeseri was detected in L. argentatus [19] and S. lari was described based on material from L. marinus [15]
Summary
Birds of the family Laridae have not been intensively examined for infections with Sarcocystis spp. Sarcocysts of two species, S. lari and S. wobeseri, have been identified in the muscles of gulls. Birds may serve as intermediate or definitive hosts for many Sarcocystis species [1, 5,6,7,8]. Sarcocystis species have been identified using birds as intermediate hosts [1, 9]. S. falcatula and S. calchasi are highly pathogenic for their intermediate hosts. Some species, such as S. falcatula, S. calchasi and S. wobeseri are not strictly specific to the intermediate host and could form sarcocysts in birds of several different orders [10,11,12,13]. Other species like S. fulicae, S. lari and S. ramphastosi are strictly specific to a single bird species [14,15,16]
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