Sarcocystis spp infection in Philippine water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis).

In a survey of sarcocysts in muscle tissues obtained from 142 water buffaloes, 65% of the carcasses had sarcocysts. Macroscopic and two forms of microscopic sarcocysts, the spindle-shaped or fusiform sarcocysts commonly occurring in the muscles of the esophagus, throat and limbs, and the globular to oval-shaped sarcocysts which were the dominant form in the diaphragm and cervical muscle tissues were noted. Ultrastructural analysis of macroscopic and microscopic sarcocysts and their cyst wall revealed two distinct species of Sarcocystis: the macroscopic species, Sarcocystis fusiformis which has been previously reported in Philippine carabaos possessing highly dendritic cauliflower-like projections emanating from the primary cyst wall, with annulated microfilaments and numerous electron dense granules: and the Sarcocystis levinei (Dissanaike and Kan, 1978) Huong, Dubey and Uggla. 1997 exhibiting a cyst wall with undulating and hair-like villar protrusions with expanded or dome-shaped base, intermediate finger-like, and distal tapering segments which at some points join to form conical tufts. Our findings represent the first report of S. levinei in the country supported with ultrastructural analysis of the sarcocysts and cyst wall, and likewise refute earlier published reports that all microscopic sarcocysts in Philippine carabaos are developing forms of the macroscopic species, S. fusiformis. Histopathological changes such as displacement and necrosis of the surrounding host muscle tissue were observed with macroscopic sarcocysts and histologically processed tissue samples containing microscopic fusiform sarcocysts. Necrotic myofibrils and mitochondria were evident in ultrathin sections.

Sarcosporidiose muscular: registro de um caso / Muscular sarcosporidiosis: report of a case

Um caso de sarcosporidiose muscular em uma paciente de 29 anos de idade é relatado. O quadro clínico evidenciava síndrome miopática tipo cinturas com leve mialgia de 4 anos de evoluçäo. A biópsia muscular do músculo deltóide mostrou a presença de formaçäo císticas de permeio a fibras musculares normais. O diâmetro, comprimento e provável cápsula dessas formaçöes säo características da infestaçäo pelo coccideo Sarcocystis sp. Outras características histopatológicas e a distinçäo com as formaçöes císticas da toxoplasmose säo comentadas. A maioria dos casos descritos na literatura - pouco mais de três dezenas - evidencia a ausência de quadro clínico típico, devendo a moléstia entrar no diagnóstico diferencial ocasional das doenças musculares esqueléticas ou cardíacas, inflamatórias e/ou parasitárias

Sarcocystis booliati n.sp. and a parasite of undetermined taxonomic position, Octoplasma garnhami n. gen. n. sp., from the moonrat, Echinosorex gymnurus.

Sarcocystis booliati n.sp. is described from the moonrat Echinosorex gymnurus (Mammalia, Insectivora) from West Malaysia. The cysts are very thin-walled, not visible to the naked eye, and have no trabeculae or cytophaneres. They are found in skeletal but not heart muscle. The zoites are small, 5-8 by 2-3 mum with a mean of 6.5 by 2.2 mum, in dry fixed smears. Octoplasma garnhami n.gen. n.sp., a parasite of undetermined taxonomic status but belonging to the Coccidiasina, Apicomplexa, is also described from the same host. Only schizononts and pseudocysts with typically 8 zoites, have so far been seen in monocytes of the spleen and liver. The zoites are large, 15 by 3 mum and have a distinct nucleolus even in dry-fixed smears.