Abstract
BackgroundApicomplexan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis have an obligate two-host life-cycle and comprise about 200 species, which infect different cold- and warm-blooded hosts, including humans. Recently, morphological and molecular studies of sarcocysts in broadly spread carnivore hosts have been on the rise. The description of muscular tissues infection by Sarcocystis in the raccoon dog and the common raccoon from the Czech Republic is herein presented.MethodsDuring January-August 2019, 15 raccoon dogs and 1 common raccoon were examined from 5 districts (Česká Lípa, Liberec, Mladá Boleslav, Trutnov and Ústí nad Labem) of the Czech Republic. Muscle parts (diaphragm, forearm, hind-limb, tongue and heart) were examined in wet preparations under compression by light microscopy. After finding Sarcocystis sp., morphological characteristics and molecular analyses of 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS1 and cox1 loci were used to identify the species.ResultsSarcocysts were detected and identified in 1 out of 15 raccoon dogs and in the single common raccoon. Preferential infection sites were diaphragm and tongue, followed by forearm and hind limb. To our knowledge, this is the first identification of microscopic sarcocysts by multi-locus genetic analysis from both host species. Molecular analyses revealed 100% similarity at 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and cox1 genes with S. lutrae for both hosts and 98–100% identity at the ITS1 region of the isolate from the common raccoon.ConclusionsBoth widely distributed non-indigenous wild carnivores represent new intermediate host records for S. lutrae and the first report of this parasite in a member of the family Procyonidae, but still with an unknown natural definitive host. Molecular data revealed that this parasite species appears more closely related to the Sarcocystis spp. using raptorial birds as definitive hosts. Therefore, further studies aimed at its identification, including the complete life-cycle, remain necessary.
Highlights
Apicomplexan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis have an obligate two-host life-cycle and comprise about 200 species, which infect different cold- and warm-blooded hosts, including humans
As a part of a study focusing on the evaluation of the diversity of Sarcocystis species in the Czech Republic, raccoon dogs and common raccoons were examined for the occurrence of parasitic infections
One sarcocyst morphotype (Fig. 1) and several bradyzoites of the genus Sarcocystis were detected in the diaphragm, hind-limb, forearm and tongue muscles in 1 of 15 raccoon dogs and in the single common raccoon examined (100%, intensity = 1 sarcocyst per gram)
Summary
Apicomplexan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis have an obligate two-host life-cycle and comprise about 200 species, which infect different cold- and warm-blooded hosts, including humans. The role of wild terrestrial carnivores in the transmission of infectious diseases continuously requires scientific attention, especially in those widely spread non-indigenous carnivores with the ability to adapt in new habitats, such as the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) (Canidae) and the common raccoon (Procyon lotor) (Procyonidae). These hosts are native to East Asia and North America and have been introduced across Europe, including the Czech Republic, where they have spread zoonotic parasites and other pathogens (e.g. Echinococcus or Trichinella) [7,8,9,10]. Parasites were for the first time molecularly characterized by using 4 loci, i.e. 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA), 28S ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA), mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) genes and the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region
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