ABSTRACT
The features of S. felis sarcocystosis in muscles of the domestic cats [Felis domesticus] were studied. A complete clinical history, post mortem, and histopathologic examinations were done for each cat. Multiple protozoan elliptical cysts were in the skeletal muscles, heart, and diaphragm muscles of 3/17 [17.6%] adult cats. Ultrastructural characteristics of the brady-zoites and cyst wall were consistent with those descried for S. felis in bobcat and domestic cat. Clinicopathological study in 3 cats showed hypertrophy cardiomyopathy and lymphosarcoma associated with S. felis. Tissue samples showed a spectrum of pathological changes such as multi-focal subacute myocarditis and multi-focal subarachnoid lymphocytic infiltration. DNA extracted from muscles diaphragm with cysts was tested by PCR and sequence analyses of ssurRNA gene. The phylogenetic reconstructions using neighbor-joining method showed that S. felis is closely related to S. neurona. The results were illustrated and photographed and peer discussed.
Subject(s)
Animals , Sarcocystis/ultrastructure , Cats , Muscle, Skeletal/pathology , Histology , DNA Fingerprinting , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Microscopy, ElectronABSTRACT
Scanning electron microscopy of Sarcocystis fusiformis from the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) reveals the presence of two cyst walls and distinct compartments within the cyst. Merozoites lie in large numbers in each compartment and in some cases are covered by a membrane-like exudate. Each merozoite has a micropore situated in the anterior half and ridge-like structures originate from the conoidal end and pass backwards along the body of the parasite.