Protozoan Parasites of Sarcocystis spp. in Rodents from Commercial Orchards

• Published in: Animals
• Main Authors: Petras Prakas, Vitalijus Stirkė, Donatas Šneideris, Paulina Rakauskaitė, Dalius Butkauskas, Linas Balčiauskas
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2023
• Subjects: small mammals; orchards; Lithuania; Sarcocystis; infection rates; genetic identification; Veterinary medicine; SF600-1100; Zoology; QL1-991; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132087; https://doaj.org/article/2d9296a70dfe4deb8be6cf8da004af73

Small mammals are an important group of wildlife that can transmit pathogens to humans and animals. There is a lack of comprehensive studies on the protozoan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis in agricultural areas. The aim of the current research was to evaluate the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp., and to identify the parasite species found in the skeletal muscles of rodents and insectivores from commercial orchards. A total of 679 muscle samples from small mammals, mainly rodents (n = 674), belonging to eight species were examined. Muscle samples were pooled into groups, then digested, and the presence of the Sarcocystis species was confirmed by molecular methods. The examined parasites were determined in five rodent species, Apodemus agrarius , A . flavicollis , Clethrionomys glareolus , Microtus arvalis , and M . oeconomus . The prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. was low: 2.23% in voles and 0.79% in mice. Based on a sequence comparison of cox1 and 28S rDNA, four species were identified: S . myodes , Sarcocystis cf. strixi , Sarcocystis sp. Rod1, and Sarcocystis sp. Rod2. This is the first report of S . myodes in A . agrarius , A . flavicollis , and M. arvalis . The identified species were most closely related to Sarcocystis spp., and were transmitted by predatory mammals and birds. Future studies are needed to describe the species morphologically, as well as to define the host spectrum and to evaluate their possible pathogenicity.