In-house Diagnosis of Sarcocystosis

摘要

Sarcocystosis is a disease caused by an apicomplexan coccidian parasite (Sarcocystis falcatula) with an obligatory two-host life cycle. It naturally infects its definitive host, the opossum (Didelphis virginiana), with little associated morbidity or mortality. Sexual reproduction takes place within the intestine of the opossum, and the infectious sporocysts are shed in the opossum's feces. When the sporocysts are ingested by the intermediate host, asexual reproduction of the parasite takes place; thesporocysts invade various tissues where they undergo schizogony and merogony and then form cysts in the cardiac or striated muscles. The intermediate host range for this parasite is broad, including several orders of birds; common intermediate host species include icterids such as the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) and the common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula).