Abstract
Sarcocystis is a common zoonotic parasite which can be transmitted through ingestion of contaminated, undercooked meat and is a major cause of economic loss in many countries. This study aimed to detect Sarcocystis parasite in processed meat products in Hamedan, Iran. A total of 20 samples of hamburger, sausage, and cocktail were collected from markets from three factories in Hamedan, Iran. The samples were examined by digestion and impression smear methods for detecting Sarcocystis parasite. The results showed that 80% of all tested samples were infected with Sarcocystis. The infection rate in hamburger, sausage, and cocktail were 87.5, 83.33, and 66.66%, respectively. The highest infestation rate was observed in hamburger. The present study shows that the rate of Sarcocystis contamination in meat products is very high. So, evaluation of raw meat quality in addition to applying hygienic programs at all stages of the production line is inevitable. Also, consumption of undercooked meat products or fast food should be avoided.
Highlights
The genus Sarcocystis includes more than 100 species with worldwide distribution
Human infection with Sarcocystis can be related to ingestion or water contamination with oocysts excreted by carnivorous definitive hosts or eating raw/undercooked meat containing the encysted parasite (Rosenthal et al 2012)
Our results showed that 16 (80%) of samples were infected with Sarcocystis spp. (Table 1)
Summary
The genus Sarcocystis includes more than 100 species with worldwide distribution. They are protozoan coccidian parasites belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa (Fayer 2004). Merogony and cyst formation (asexual stage) take place in the intermediate host while gametogony and sporogony (sexual stages) take place in the definitive host Human as both an intermediate and definitive host is more considerable in the life cycle of this parasite. Most pathogenic Sarcocystis spp. like S. humanis and S. suihumanis can cause infection in human as intermediate host (Fukuyo et al 2002). The pathogenicity of Sarcocystosis spp. for human is uncertain In most cases, they are not harmful or may be the cause of mild and transient gastrointestinal signs (Gabriele et al 2006). Sarcocystosis in heavily infected animals causes reduced milk production, spontaneous abortions, and death (Fayer 2004). The aim of this study was to investigate the Sarcocystis infection rate in processed meat products in Hamedan, Comp Clin Pathol (2017) 26:1023–1026
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