engleski

Sarcocystosis of cloven-hoofed game in Slovak Republic

In this paper, we analyze the presence of Sarcocystis spp. among several game species, hunted in Central and Eastern Slovakia between 2005 and 2007. Samples of heart and skeletal muscles were collected from 71 animals (red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, mouflon, chamois and wild boar). Sarcocystis infection was determined among 91.5 % of the examined samples: in 13 roe deer, 10 mouflons, 8 fallow deer, and 6 chamois, prevalence were 100 % ; 85.0 % in 20 wild boars, 78.6 % in 14 red deer. In examined cloven-hoofed game in Slovakia a high intensity of infection of Sarcocystis spp., was recorded. The highest intensity of infection was in wild boars (up to 1, 495 microcysts per gram of examined tissue) and roe deer (903 microcysts per gram). Animals under one year of age shoved low intensity of infection in comparison with adults: red deer (19/g), mouflon (19/g), chamois (19/g) and wild boar (52/g). In the muscle samples of male animals we have found significantly higher intensity of infection than in females. Intensity of infection was statistically significant in red deer males versus calves p<0.05 ; chamois lambs versus males p<0.001, chamois lambs versus females p<0.001, chamois males versus females p<0.05, wild boar males versus females p<0.01, wild boar piglets versus females p<0.05. We also present morphology of thin-walled microcysts of Sarcocystis spp. according to histological sections. Light microscopy shoved typical features of Sarcocystis spp. microcysts in skeletal muscles and myocardium. Thin-walled microcysts were filed with numerous bradyzoits, which are situated inside chamber-like hollows within the cysts.

cloven-hoofed game; Sarcocystis spp.; microcyst; prevalence; intensity of infection; histological observation

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