ABSTRACT
Sarcocystis infection was detected in 93% of horses in Mongolia. Using the compress method, sarcocysts were found in the muscles of the diaphragm, heart and tongue in 40 of the 43 horses that were slaughtered at the Makh Impex Meat Company in Ulaan Baatar in July 1998. The muscle of the tongue showed the highest rate (97.5%) of infection. The distribution of sarcocysts in the muscles was positively correlated with horse age; the rate of detection was significantly lower (p=0.01) in the under 10 year old group than the older group. All horses were apparently healthy and were slaughtered for human consumption.
Subject(s)
Abattoirs , Age Distribution , Animals , Diaphragm/parasitology , Heart/parasitology , Horse Diseases/diagnosis , Horses , Mongolia/epidemiology , Population Surveillance , Prevalence , Sarcocystosis/diagnosis , Tongue/parasitologyABSTRACT
A survey of Sarcocystis infection was conducted in Mongolia between June 1998 and July 1999. Samples of muscle were taken from the diaphragm, heart, tongue, esophagus,and intercostal region of cattle, yak, hainag, sheep, horses, and camels. A muscle compress method was used to determine the prevalence of infection: cattle 90.0% (27/30), yak 93.3% (28/30), hainag 100% (30/30), sheep 96.9% (753/777), horses 75% (3/4) and camels 100% (5/5). Of the various muscles, heart was the most commonly infected in cattle (100%), yak (86.7%), and hainag (100%); tongue was most likly to be infected in sheep (100%) and horses (100%).