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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Parasitol / Sarcocystis fayeri sp. n. from the horse.
The Journal of parasitology1977; 63(3); 443-447;

Sarcocystis fayeri sp. n. from the horse.

Abstract: Hearts, diaphragms, esophagi, and spinal cords from 266 horses were obtained at slaughter in Creston, Ohio. Tissues were examined microscopically for Sarcocystis in sections, digested in trypsin to obtain bradyzoites, and fed to 10 dogs and 10 cats. Intramuscular cysts were found in selections of two hearts from 57 horses and four esophagi from 107 horses. The cysts were up to 900 micron long and up to 70 micron wide. The cyst wall was 1 to 2 micron thick and cross-striated. The enclosed bradyzoites were banana-shaped, 15 to 20 by 20 to 3 micron, and contained several PAS-positive granules. Bradyzoites were found in trypsin digests of seven of 57 (13%) equine tissues (heart, diaphragm, esophagus but not spinal cord) in one experiment and 10 of 47 (21%) esophagi, eight of 47 (17%) diaphragms but none of 47 hearts and spinal cords in another experiment. All of 10 dogs shed sporulated sporocysts or oocysts in feces 12 to 15 days (12 in one, 13 in eight, and 15 days in one) after digesting tissues from 169 horses. The sporocysts were 11 to 13 (12.0 +/- 0.5) by 7 to 8.5 (7.9 +/- 0.5) micron. In histologic sections of canine small intestine the sporocysts were located in the lamina propria near the tips of the villi. The 10 cats fed tissues from 266 horses did not shed Sarcocystis. A new name, S. fayeri, is proposed for this organism. Sarcocystis fayeri sporocysts (12 by 8 micron) are shorter than those of S. betrami (15 by 10 micron), the other species of Sarcocystis from the horse. The prepatent period is 12 to 15 days for S. fayeri and 8 days for S. bertrami (synonym S. equicanis Rommel and Geisel 1975).
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Publication Date: 1977-06-01 PubMed ID: 405467
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  • Journal Article

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.

This research explores the identification of a new species, Sarcocystis fayeri, from horse tissues, determined through the study of microscopically examined horse tissues and ingestion trials with cats and dogs.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers obtained hearts, diaphragms, esophagi, and spinal cords from 266 horses at a slaughter in Creston, Ohio.
  • These tissues were examined microscopically for Sarcocystis in sections, then digested in trypsin to obtain bradyzoites.
  • The digested samples were then fed to ten dogs and ten cats.

Findings

  • Intramuscular cysts were found in two hearts from 57 horses and four esophagi from 107 horses. These cysts were up to 900 microns long and 70 microns wide, with a thickness of 1 to 2 microns.
  • The enclosed bradyzoites, banana-shaped and measured 15 to 20 by 20 to 3 microns, contained several Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS)-positive granules.
  • Following the digestion process, bradyzoites were found in seven of 57 (13%) equine tissues in one experiment and in ten of 47 (21%) esophagi, eight of 47 (17%) diaphragms in another experiment.
  • All of the ten dogs used in the experiment shed sporulated sporocysts or oocysts in their feces 12 to 15 days after consuming the digested tissues from the horses.
  • In contrast, none of the ten cats fed with tissues from 266 horses shed Sarcocystis.

Conclusion

  • Based on these findings, the researchers proposed a new name, S. fayeri, for this organism.
  • They distinguished it from another species of Sarcocystis from the horse, S. betrami, based on differences in sporocyst size and the prepatent period, which is the time from infection to when the parasite is detectable.
  • S. fayeri’s sporocysts were shorter (12 by 8 micron) in comparison to those of S. betrami (15 by 10 micron) and its prepatent period was 12 to 15 days, longer than 8 days of S. bertrami.

Cite This Article

APA
Dubey JP, Streitel RH, Stromberg PC, Toussant MJ. (1977). Sarcocystis fayeri sp. n. from the horse. J Parasitol, 63(3), 443-447.

Publication

The Journal of parasitology
ISSN: 0022-3395
NlmUniqueID: 7803124
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 63
Issue: 3
Pages: 443-447

Researcher Affiliations

Dubey, J P
    Streitel, R H
      Stromberg, P C
        Toussant, M J

          MeSH Terms

          • Animals
          • Cats
          • Diaphragm / parasitology
          • Dogs
          • Esophagus / parasitology
          • Feces / parasitology
          • Germ-Free Life
          • Heart / parasitology
          • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
          • Horses / parasitology
          • Sarcocystis / isolation & purification
          • Sarcocystosis / veterinary

          Citations

          This article has been cited 15 times.
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            doi: 10.1128/CDLI.12.9.1050-1056.2005pubmed: 16148170google scholar: lookup
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          13. Dissanaike AS, Kan SP. Studies on Sarcocystis in Malaysia. I. Sarcocystis levinei n. sp. from the water buffalo Bubalus bubalis. Z Parasitenkd 1978 Apr 20;55(2):127-38.
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          15. Ullah A, Geng M, Chen W, Zhu Q, Shi L, Zhang X, Akhtar MF, Wang C, Khan MZ. Effect of Parasitic Infections on Hematological Profile, Reproductive and Productive Performance in Equines. Animals (Basel) 2025 Nov 14;15(22).
            doi: 10.3390/ani15223294pubmed: 41302002google scholar: lookup
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