Sarcocystis hominis and Other Sarcocystis Species Infecting Cattle in Sharkia Province, Egypt

Bovine sarcocystosis is an economically important disease worldwide caused by the apicomplexan protozoan, Sarcocystis species. There are three main species of cattle Sarcocystis; S. cruzi (S. bovicanis), S. hirsuta (S. bovifelis) and S. hominis (S. bovihominis). The current study was conducted to identify Sarcocystis species infecting slaughtered cattle at Sharkia province, Egypt using light and electron microscopy, as well as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) technique. Both thin-walled and thick-walled microscopic sarcocysts were observed in 29.6 % (24 out of 81) of the examined cattle. Thin-walled sarcocysts were observed in the 24 infected animals (29.6 %), while thick-walled sarcocysts were only detected in three samples (4.9 %). Large macroscopic cysts were not observed by the naked eyes. The identified microscopic cysts measured 198-1050 μm (average 624 μm) in length and 72-150 μm (average 111 μm) in breadth. Thin-walled microscopic sarcocysts were identified as S. cruzi, while thick-walled sarcocysts were confirmed as S. hominis using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and RAPD-PCR technique. Thick-walled S. hirsuta was suspected only at light microscopic level. This is the first report and molecular confirmation of S. hominis in slaughtered cattle at Sharkia province, Egypt. [Badawy, A.I.I; Abouzaid, N.Z. and Ahmed, H. A. Sarcocystis hominis and Other Sarcocystis Species Infecting Cattle in Sharkia Province, Egypt. J Am Sci 2012; 8(8):271-275]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience.org. 40