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Seasonal variation in Sarcocystis species infections in goats in northern Iraq

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2004

M. BARHAM ,
H. STÜTZER ,
P. KARANIS ,
B. M. LATIF  and
W. F. NEISS
M. BARHAM
Affiliation:
Institut I für Anatomie, Universität zu Köln, D-50924 Köln, Germany
H. STÜTZER
Affiliation:
Institut für Medizinische Statistik, Informatik und Epidemiologie, Universität zu Köln, D-50924 Köln, Germany
P. KARANIS
Affiliation:
Institut II für Anatomie – AG Parasitologie, Universität zu Köln, D-50924 Köln, Germany
B. M. LATIF
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Baghdad, Iraq
W. F. NEISS
Affiliation:
Institut I für Anatomie, Universität zu Köln, D-50924 Köln, Germany
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Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of sarcocystosis in 826 goats slaughtered in the winter season from November to April in northern Iraq. The prevalence of macrocysts was on average 34%, with only 20% infected animals in November, but 46% in February. The infection rate in 1-, 3- and 6-year-old goats was 4%, 48%, and 83%, respectively. The highest specificity of infection was in the oesophagus (99%) and the lowest in the diaphragm (3%). Grossly, we identified 2 forms of macroscopic sarcocysts, fat and thin, with different morphological characteristics. The prevalence of microcysts was 97% and no effects of age, sex and seasonal variations were observed. Development of microcysts in the small intestine of dogs and cats has also been investigated. The pre-patent period in experimentally infected dogs was 12–14 days and the patent period lasted 64–66 days. A dog shed about 155 million sporocysts, but no sporocysts were shed by cats that had been fed the same infected tissues, thus identifying the microcysts as Sarcocystis capracanis.

Keywords

goatSarcocystis caprifelisSarcocystis capracanismacrocystmicrocystage
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 130 , Issue 2 , February 2005 , pp. 151 - 156
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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