Sarcocystis chloropusae (protozoa: Sarcocystidae) n. sp. from the common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) from Egypt.

A new name Sarcocystis chloropusae is proposed for a parasite previously found in two of 25 common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) from Brolos Lake, Egypt. Sarcocysts were microscopic, up to 650 µm long, the cyst wall was up to 4.5 µm thick, and contained villar protrusions that were up to 4 µm long and up to 2 µm wide. The villar protrusions were crowded, contained vesicles but lacked microtubules. The ground substance layer was smooth. The bradyzoites were up to 12 µm long and up to 2 µm wide. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the (ITS-1) supported the conclusion that the Sarcocystis in G. chloropus is a distinct species.

Sarcocystis dubeyi (Huong and Uggla, 1999) infection in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) from Egypt.

Water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are intermediate hosts for 4 species of Sarcocystis , i.e., Sarcocystis fusiformis and Sarcocystis buffalonis with cats as definitive hosts; Sarcocystis levinei with dogs as definitive hosts; and Sarcocystis dubeyi with an unknown definitive host but thought to be zoonotic. Currently, the latter species has been identified with certainty only from Vietnam. In the present study, sarcocysts of S. dubeyi are reported in 11 (30%) of 35 Egyptian water buffaloes from which the esophageal muscles were examined histologically. Sarcocysts were microscopic, measuring 180-250 × 70-110 µm in size. Ultrastructurally, the sarcocyst wall was 3.5-6.5 µm thick and had palisade-like villar protrusions which give it a striated appearance. The villar protrusions contained microtubules that were distributed along the whole villus. This is the first report of S. dubeyi from water buffaloes in Egypt.