Sarcocystis spp. prevalence in bovine minced meat: a histological and molecular study
Sarcosporidiosis is caused by ingestion of contaminated raw or undercooked bovine meat and, although considered a minor zoonosis, it can represent a threath for immunocompromised people. Aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of <em>Sarcocystis</em> spp. in bovine minced meat intended for raw consumption collected from butcher shops and retail stores in Turin’s province (Piedmont region, Northwest Italy). Twenty-five samples were examined in parallel by histology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prevalence of infestation of <em>Sarcocystis</em> spp. resulted to be 64% [confidence interval (CI) 95% 42-82] and 88% (CI 95% 69-97) respectively by histology and PCR. In detail, the prevalence resulted 80% for <em>S. cruzi</em> (CI 95% 59-93), 68% for <em>S. hominis</em> (CI 95% 46-85) and 4% for <em>S. hirsuta</em> (CI 95% 0.10-20). The high prevalence of <em>S. hominis</em> highlights that sarcosporidiosis may constitute a public health problem in Italy, particularly in regions like Piedmont, that has traditional dishes prepared from raw or undercooked bovine meat.