Biochem. Cell. Arch. Vol. 11, No. 2, pp.

469-471, 2011 ISSN 0972-5075

THE PREVALENCE OF SARCOCYSTIS INFECTION IN

SLAUGHTERED CATTLE AND SHEEP USING DIGESTION METHOD
IN AHVAZ CITY OF IRAN

M. Rahdar1 M.Salehi2
1-Department of Mycoparasitology, . Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz, Iran and
Cellular & molecular Researches Center
2-Ph.D student of parasitology department, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz, Iran
e.mail : mrahdar2002@yahoo.com
(Accepted 15 June 2011)

ABSTRACT Sarcocystis spp. are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites which can induce infection
in carnivorous and herbivorous host. Two forms of infection are recognized in human which included
intestinal and muscular forms with or without symptoms. Humans acquired infection by ingestion of cyst
or eating raw and undercooked infected meat. The main goal of this study was to detect the prevalence of
Sarcocystis parasites in slaughtered animals and to identify the parasite important role for human health.
One hundred muscles samples (each 50 g.) were collected from diaphragm ,heart,skeletal muscle of sheep
and cattle in abattoirs from Ahvaz city southwest of Iran and examined by digestion method using pepsin
and HCl. Digestion method is a sensitive, rapid and simple test for diagnosing Sarcocystis infection in
meat. Sarcocystis (what stage) were seen in all samples and the rate of infection was 100%. These findings
indicated that the rate of the parasite infection was very high and could be important to hygienic human
community. For prevention of humans infection, consumption of raw and under-cooked meat in hyper
endemic area should be avoided.

Key words : Sarcocystis, cattle, sheep, prevalence.

INTRODUCTION exhibit muscular sarcocystosis which is

Sarcocystis is an obligatory intracellular
protozoan parasite which can infect both
humans and animals. Distribution of this
parasite is world wide and has been reported
by many investigators from various parts of
the world. The life cycle consists of an
intermediated host (man and herbivorous
animals) and a definitive host (man and
carnivorous animals). Sexual cycle of
Sarcocystis forms occur in intestinal epithelial
cells of carnivorous as a final host.
Carnivorous such as canine and feline family,
infect environment by passing 200 millions
oocyst during infection via feces (Nourollahi
Fard et al, 2009).
Humans acquire infection with several
species of Sarcocystis genus by eating raw and
under cooked beef or pork or meat production
(hamburger or sausage) containing schizonts
of S. hominis and S. suihominis respectively.
These species can induce intestinal
sarcocystosis in man (NourollahiFard et al,
2009). The clinical signs of intestinal
sarcocystiasis in human are digestive
disturbances such as nausea, vomiting , and
diarrhea sign (Dubey et al, 1989) specially in
immunocompromised patients (Velsquez et
al, 2008). Muscular sarcocystosis in human is
cause by S. lindemanni. The infecction is
induced by ingestion of oocysts which passed
through feces of infected dogs (Shekarforoush
et al, 2006). Herbivorous as intermediated host
manifested by sever clinical signs included
loss of weight, anemia, muscle weakness,
reduced milk yield, abortion, and death in
severe infections (Dubey et al, 1989).
The major species of Sarcocystis which
induce infection in sheep, are S. ovicanis (S.
tenella) a pathogenic species and S. ovifelis (S.
gigantea) a nonpathogenic species which
produce microscopic and macroscopic
schizont respectively (Dubey et al, 1989).
Cattle are also infected by some species of
Sarcocystis. S. bovicanis (S. cruzi) a
pathogenic species and S. bovihominis (S.
fusiformis) a non-pathogenic, are the most
important species (Bunyaratvej et al, 2007).
Whereas , the infection of meat with different
species of Sarcocystis can be important for
public health we decide to investigation the
prevalence of ovine and bovine Sarcocystosis
in Khoozestan province , Iran by using of
digestion methods.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Muscle samples were collected from 50 sheep
and 50 cattle, between December 2008 and
March 2009, from Ahvaz central abattoir. All
animals were raised in different locations of
Khoozestan province. The samples were
collected from diaphragm, heart and skeletal
muscles. For digestion, 20 grams of each
sample were ground by blender and digested
in 1.5 % HCl and 0.5 % pepsin solution
at 25 oC overnight. The digested meat was sieved through
mesh and centrifuged at 1500 rpm for 5 minutes. After
discarding the supernatant fluid, the sediment was stained
by Giemsa stain and examined microscopically for
detection of Sarcocystis bradyzoite.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In this study, all samples of slaughtered sheep and
cattle were infected by microschizont of Sarcocystis spp.
In microscopic examination, many merozoites of
Sarcocystis, banana shaped and 7-9 micron in length, were
found (fig.1) but no macroschizont was found in any
sample.
Domestic animals (herbivorous) can be infected by
humans, dogs and cats as definitive host who contaminate
environment by passing oocyst via their feces and can
produce sever disease in herbivorous host.
Humans are also infected by the parasite as
intermediated and final host. Humans exhibit some clinical
intestinal symptoms as final host by eating under-cooked
or raw infected meat.
The findings of this study showed that all samples of
sheep and cattle were infected by Sarcocystis spp. This
finding is agreed by several investigations in Iran and other
part of the world. Nourollahi-fard et al (2009) showed
that 100% of slaughtered cattle in Kerman, Iran were
infected by Sarcocystis species. Likewise, investigations
in other parts of Iran indicated the different prevalence
of infection for example in Mashad 83.6% in camel
(Valinezhad et al, 2008) Ardebil 33.9% in sheep and 8.1%
in buffaloes (Daryani et al, 2006) , Hamadan 100% in
cattle(Gharagozlou et al, 2001), Tabriz 100% in sheep
(Arshad et al, 2007) Shiraz 100% in sheep (Razavi et al,
2003) were infected.
There are some controversy to prevalence of
sarcocystis spp in different parts of Iran . This
inconvenience can be due to using of different methods
for identification of the parasites. All researches indicated
that digesting method is sensitive test for this purpose
(Arshad et al, 2007).
The rate of Sarcocystis infection in slaughtered animals
were also investigated in many parts of the world. In the
United State 100% of sheep and cattle were infected
(Fayer, 2004) . In Sudan and Argentina 91.6% in goats
were infected (Ginawi and Shommein, 1997; More et al,
2008) . In Brazil all 50 beef samples in 25 Arabian
restaurant were contaminated by the parasite (Pena et
al, 2001). The prevalence rate of Sarcocystis in other
parts of the world reported as : Saudi Arabia (camels:
88.35%)( Fatina et al, 1996), Western Australia (cattle:
52%) (Savini et al, 1992), Sri Lanka (cattle: 69.3%)
(Kalubowila et al, 2004) and turkey 100% in sheep more
than 6 month (Beyazit et al, 2007) . In Japan cattle 96.9%
(Fukuyo et al, 2002) and Ethiopia (cattle 82% ,sheep 93%)
were reported (Woldemeskel et al, 1995) .
In this study all of slaughtered animals (sheep and
cattle ) have microschizont of Sarcocystis spp. but
macroschizont were not seen. This finding showed that
dogs have an important role in distribution of the parasite
cyst in livestock animals in this area because S.ovicanis
and S.bovicanis induce microschizont in muscles of
intermediated host. Permanent existence of dogs in farms
is very routine in Iran and the farms can be contaminated
by a great amount of the parasite cyst which pass from
infected dogs . Dogs are known as definitive hosts for
some of the microscopic species of Sarcocystis (Dubna
et al, 2007).
The prevalence rates of macrocysts in sheep have
ranged from 6.1 % to 66 % in abattoir surveys performed
in different provinces of turkey. Beyazit et al and others
indicated , S.ovifelis sarcocysts were found in 24.5 % of
sheep (Beyazit et al, 2007; Dubna et al, 2007; Britt et al,
Fig.1 : Sarcocystis merozoite after digestion of the meat of slaughtered animals.
470 M. Rahdar and A. Afeie
1990 ; Martinez et al, 1989).
These results points out that the environment is heavily
contaminated with different species of the parasite cyst
so for prevention, it is strongly recommended to avoid of
eating raw and under-cooked meat or to place at frozen
temperature for at least 3-5 days.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This study supported by Ahvaz jundishapur university
of Medical Sciences, Mycoparasitology department. We
thank Dr. S.Maraghi for technical assistance and for
preparation of materials and instruments in Research
Center of Parasitology.
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