Sarcocystis falcatula em papagaio-do-congo (Psittacus erithacus): relato de caso

Sarcocystis falcatula é responsável por prover a doença parasitária sarcosporidiose. O gênero possui cerca de 130 espécies, sendo classificadas quanto a sua patogenicidade. Apresenta-se sob a forma de oocistos, bem como cisto tecidual nos hospedeiros intermediários acometidos, sendo alojados em órgãos diversos, podendo levar o hospedeiro intermediário a óbito súbito sem sinais clínicos prévios. O presente relato tem por objetivo descrever um caso de sarcosporidiose em papagaio-do-congo (Psittacus erithacus). Os fragmentos colhidos foram clivados histologicamente e corados pela coloração padrão H&EConclui-se que é necessária a disposição de mais materiais informativos considerando a popularização da adoção de pets exóticos, garantindo sanidade a estes.

Evidence for Unknown Sarcocystis-Like Infection in Stranded Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Ligurian Sea, Italy

Two striped dolphins (SD1, SD2), stranded along the Ligurian coast of Italy, were diagnosed with a nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis associated with previously undescribed protozoan tissue cysts. As tissue cysts were morphologically different from those of Toxoplasma gondii, additional histopathological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and biomolecular investigations were performed, aiming to fully characterize the organism. Histopathology revealed the presence of large Sarcocystis-like tissue cysts, associated with limited inflammatory lesions in all CNS areas studied. IHC was inconclusive, as positive staining with polyclonal antisera did not preclude cross-reaction with other Sarcocystidae coccidia. Applied to each animal, 11 different PCR protocols precluded a neural infection by Sarcocystis neurona, Sarcocystis falcatula, Hammondia hammondi, and Neospora caninum. T. gondii coinfection was confirmed only in dolphin SD2. Sarcocystis sp. sequences, showing the highest homology to species infecting the Bovidae family, were amplified from SD1 myocardium and SD2 skeletal muscle. The present study represents the first report of Sarcocystis-like tissue cysts in the brain of stranded cetaceans along with the first description of Sarcocystis sp. infection in muscle tissue of dolphins from the Mediterranean basin.

Seroprevalence of Sarcocystis falcatula in Two Islands of Malaysia using Recombinant Surface Antigen 4

Sarcocystosis was diagnosed worldwide by serodiagnostic tests utilising the whole parasite, for which the protozoa were maintained in vitro are more costly. In this study, antigenicity of <i>Sarcocystis falcatula</i> recombinant protein (rSfSAG4) was investigated towards the local communities of Pangkor and Tioman Islands and its seroprevalence was surveyed in these islands. A total of 348 human sera were tested using rSfSAG4 by Western blot and ELISA. High prevalence of sarcocystosis was observed in Tioman Island (80.6%) than in Pangkor Island (50.0%) by Western blot. In ELISA, the seroprevalence observed in Tioman Island was 45.9%, whereas in Pangkor Island 63.0%. In other parasitic infections, the prevalence was 34.0% by Western blot and 46.0% by ELISA. In healthy control group, 7% by Western blot and 8% by ELISA showed positivity to rSfSAG4. It is suggested SfSAG4 is a candidate antigen to measure seroprevalence of sarcocystosis.