The prevalence of sarcocystis affecting slaughtered cattle and buffalo at Sirs-Elian abattoir in Egypt

Abstract EN

The importance of Sarcocystis emerged from the public health point of view, as it causes zoonotic infection.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Sarcocystis in economically important animals (cattle and buffalo) to lower the zoonotic potential of this parasite.

A total of 7435 slaughtered animals (3879 cattle and 3556 buffalo) were examined macroscopically and microscopically for the detection of Sarcocystis followed by molecular detection and identification using PCR and Sequencing of 18S rRNA gene.

The overall infection of macroscopic Sarcocystis was a higher prevalence in females 62.73 % than in males (0.73 %).

In buffalo, the higher prevalence of macroscopic Sarcocystis observed in esophagus 46.82% tongue 9.3%, forequarter 3.9%, for buffalo female and male.

Although the overall prevalence of microscopic cyst was 87%, the highest prevalence was in heart 63% (88% and 38%), esophagus 56% (72% and 40%), forequarter 55% (64% and 46%), tongue 41% (36% and 46%), diaphragm 32% (26% and 38%), hindquarter 27% (30% and 24%) in cattle and buffalo.

Furthermore, the molecular identification showed that isolates Sarcocystis were S.

cruzi, and S.

hominis in cattle and buffalo, and S.

levinei and S.

sinensis in buffalo comparing with published data on GenBank.

The present study is the first report identified S.

hominis infection in Egyptian buffaloes in Menoufia Governorate and the second record of identifying S.

cruzi in Egyptian buffaloes.

Using PCR is a more sensitive method in the detection of different Sarcocystis spp.

In Egypt.

a greater hygienic application is required.