Abstract
Small parts of esophagus and cardiac muscles of abattoir sheep from Qena, Upper Egypt between June 2016 to May 2017 were examined by both light microscope (LM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and DNA sequence analysis of 18 S rRNA gene to determine the rate of infection with Sarcocystis spp. and identify the parasite according to morphological, ultrastructure characteristics, and DNA sequence analysis. LM and TEM studies revealed that microscopic, thin walled sarcocysts were detected in 47 of 63 male (74.6 %) and in 32 of 41 female (65.07 %) as a spindle-shaped with size (225 – 431.3 μm x 34.7- 82.4 μm) in esophagus muscles, and ovoid with size (141.6- 263 μm x 51.4- 82.3 μm) in cardiac muscles. The result sequences were compared with other previously sequenced Sarcocystis species retrieved from Gene Bank it was most closely refered to Sarcocystis tenella (identity 99- 100%).
Highlights
Sarcocystis is an intracellular protozoan parasite; it may cause fatal disease for its host (Tenter, 1995 & Fayer, 2004)
MATERIALS AND METHODS Parts of esophagus and cardiac muscles of both males and females from ages one to five years slaughtered sheep, were collected from different localities of Qena Upper Egypt and small parts of it were compressed between two glass slides and examined microscopically, Latif et al, (1999), parts of infected specimens were fixed with 10 % formalin for histological sections that were stained with H & E stain according to Mandour et al, (2011), small parts of infected muscles were fixed in 4% gluteraldehyde for studying by transmission electron microscope, other infected parts were observed in 70% ethyl alcohol for molecular study
Observations: Sarcocystis tenella with thin cyst wall were isolated from 79 different organ samples from 104 sheep of both sexes (75.96%), they were examined by light microscope, microscopic sarcocysts in 47 of 63 male animals (74.6%), and in 32 from 41 female animals (65.07%)
Summary
Sarcocystis is an intracellular protozoan parasite; it may cause fatal disease for its host (Tenter, 1995 & Fayer, 2004). Sarcocystis tenella was recorded in sheep in Iran and Brazil (Da Silva et al, 2009; Shahbazi et al, 2013). 2009 identified Sarcocystis species according to the structure of its wall. The aim of this study is to determine the infection rate of Sarcocystis in sheep slaughtered in Qena governorate, Upper Egypt -both morphologically and molecularly- as it is the first study in that aspect
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