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Home / Equine Research Bank / Parasitol Res / First molecular characterization of Sarcocystis neurona caus...
Parasitology research2020; 119(2); 675-682; doi: 10.1007/s00436-019-06570-w

First molecular characterization of Sarcocystis neurona causing meningoencephalitis in a domestic cat in Brazil.

Abstract: Sarcocystis neurona is the main agent associated with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Apart from horses, S. neurona has been occasionally described causing neurologic disease in several other terrestrial animals as well as mortality in marine mammals. Herein, we describe the clinical, pathological, and molecular findings of a fatal case of S. neurona-associated meningoencephalitis in a domestic cat. The causing agent was analyzed by multilocus genotyping, confirming the presence of S. neurona DNA in the tissue samples of the affected animal. Significant molecular differences were found in relation to S. neurona isolates detected in other regions of the Americas. In addition, the parasite was identical to Sarcocystis sp. identified in opossum sporocysts in Brazil at molecular level, which suggests that transmission of. S. neurona in Brazil might involve variants of the parasite different from those found elsewhere in the Americas. Studies including more samples of S. neurona would be required to test this hypothesis, as well as to assess the impact of this diversity.
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Publication Date: 2020-01-04 PubMed ID: 31901995PubMed Central: PMC7088143DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06570-wGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research is about the first case of Sarcocystis neurona causing meningoencephalitis in a domestic cat in Brazil with distinct molecular characteristics, suggesting diverse variant transmission.

Research context and background

  • The study investigates Sarcocystis neurona, a parasite primarily known for causing equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in horses.
  • Apart from horses, S. neurona has been reported to cause neurological diseases in a number of terrestrial animals and is even linked to mortality in marine mammals.

Research Methodology

  • The subject of the research was a domestic cat suffering from a fatal case of S. neurona-associated meningoencephalitis.
  • The team documented the clinical symptoms and pathological findings of the cat’s case.
  • The team analyzed samples from the cat using multilocus genotyping to confirm the presence and investigate the nature of S. neurona DNA.

Molecular Findings

  • Notably, the molecular structure of the S. neurona found in the cat differed significantly from strains found in other regions of America.
  • The parasite was identical at a molecular level to a variant of Sarcocystis found in opossum sporocysts, a type of parasitic cell, in Brazil.

Hypotheses and Implications

  • This research proposes that the transmission of S. neurona in Brazil may involve strains of the parasite that differ from those observed in other parts of America.
  • This discovery suggests a potential diversity in the types of S. neurona, which could have implications for treatment and prevention efforts.
  • However, these conclusions are preliminary, and further research involving more S. neurona samples would be needed to verify these hypotheses and assess the impact of this potential diversity.

Cite This Article

APA
Hammerschmitt ME, Henker LC, Lichtler J, da Costa FVA, Soares RM, Llano HAB, Pavarini SP. (2020). First molecular characterization of Sarcocystis neurona causing meningoencephalitis in a domestic cat in Brazil. Parasitol Res, 119(2), 675-682. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06570-w

Publication

Parasitology research
ISSN: 1432-1955
NlmUniqueID: 8703571
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 119
Issue: 2
Pages: 675-682

Researcher Affiliations

Hammerschmitt, Márcia Elisa
  • Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-000, Brazil. marciahammer@hotmail.com.
Henker, Luan Cleber
  • Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-000, Brazil.
Lichtler, Juliana
  • Setor de Medicina Felina, Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-000, Brazil.
da Costa, Fernanda Vieira Amorim
  • Setor de Medicina Felina, Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-000, Brazil.
Soares, Rodrigo Martins
  • Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-270, Brazil.
Llano, Horwald Alexander Bedoya
  • Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-270, Brazil.
Pavarini, Saulo Petinatti
  • Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-000, Brazil.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Brazil
  • Cat Diseases / parasitology
  • Cats
  • Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections / veterinary
  • DNA, Protozoan / genetics
  • Encephalomyelitis / parasitology
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horses
  • Meningoencephalitis / parasitology
  • Opossums / parasitology
  • Sarcocystis / genetics
  • Sarcocystis / isolation & purification
  • Sarcocystosis / veterinary

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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