Brazilian Horses from Bahia State Are Highly Infected with Sarcocystis bertrami.
Abstract: The protozoan (syn. ) infects horses and has dogs as definitive hosts. Herein we aimed to detect in Brazilian horses destined for human consumption and to determine the frequency of infection in the examined animals. Muscle fragments from 51 horses were collected in a slaughterhouse in Bahia State during three different seasons of the year. Samples from six tissues from each animal were prepared for macroscopic and microscopic evaluation, using tissue grinding, squash and histology. sp. was observed in 100% of the examined horses. Selected samples were processed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Species identification was confirmed using a PCR targeted to the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (). Histological examination revealed sarcocysts with variable sizes and shapes, and dispersed within the muscle fibers. When observed by TEM, the sarcocyst wall was wavy and covered by an electrodense layer. The villar protrusions were digitiform and bent. To our knowledge, this study is the first morphological and molecular confirmation of in horses in Brazil and South America.
Publication Date: 2022-12-10 PubMed ID: 36552411PubMed Central: PMC9774797DOI: 10.3390/ani12243491Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research investigates the high infection rate of a protozoan parasite, Sarcocystis bertrami, in horses intended for consumption in Brazil’s Bahia State.
Research aim and methodology
- The researchers aimed to detect the presence of Sarcocystis bertrami in Brazilian horses that were destined for human consumption. They were also interested in determining how often the infection occurred among the examined horses.
- Muscle fragments were collected from 51 horses in a slaughterhouse across different seasons. Six tissue samples from each horse underwent preparation for evaluation, both macroscopic and microscopic.
- Methods such as tissue grinding, squash, and histology were used to evaluate the samples. Selected samples were also processed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which helps in observing the ultrastructural details of the parasite.
Findings and conclusion
- 100% of the horses studied were found to be infected with Sarcocystis bertrami.
- The species confirmation was done via PCR targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Microscopic examination of the tissues revealed the presence of sarcocysts, the parasitic stage of Sarcocystis, which vary in size and shape, and are dispersed within the muscle fibers.
- TEM revealed that the sarcocyst wall was wavy and covered by an electrodense layer. The protrusions from the wall appeared digitiform (finger-like) and were bent.
- This study is marked as the first to provide morphological and molecular confirmation of Sarcocystis bertrami infection in horses in both Brazil and South America.
Implication of the study
- The findings demonstrate a high rate of infection in horses intended for human consumption, alerting a potential risk for consumers as some Sarcocystis species can be transmitted to humans.
- The conducted study provides crucial information on the presence of this protozoan in the region, which could be important for future parasitological studies and to formulate control measures against this parasite.
Cite This Article
APA
Marques C, da Silva B, Nogueira Y, Bezerra T, Tavares A, Borges-Silva W, Gondim L.
(2022).
Brazilian Horses from Bahia State Are Highly Infected with Sarcocystis bertrami.
Animals (Basel), 12(24), 3491.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243491 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, BA, Brazil.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, BA, Brazil.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, BA, Brazil.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, BA, Brazil.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, BA, Brazil.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, BA, Brazil.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, BA, Brazil.
Grant Funding
- 311051/2019-7 / National Council for Scientific and Technological Development
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.
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