Sarcocystis parazitų įvairovė kiauninių šeimos atstovuose Lietuvoje

• Main Author: Motiejūnaitė, Martyna
• Other Authors: Prakas, Petras
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: Lithuanian; English
• Published: Institutional Repository of Vilnius University 2018
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Fox; Least; martes; Mustela nivalis; Lutra lutra
• Online Access: https://repository.vu.lt/VU:ELABAETD35781047&prefLang=en_US

Diversity of Sarcocystis Parasites in The Members of Family Mustelidae in Lithuania Protozoan parasites of genus Sarcocystis are characterised by two host life cycle. Sarcocysts are formed in muscles of intermediate hosts, while sporocysts develop in the intestines of definitive host. Some Sarcocystis species are pathogenic and pathogenicity predominantly occurs in definitive host. Usually predators of the family Mustelidae are definitive hosts of different Sarcocystis species; however sometimes sarcocysts could be found in the muscle tissue of these animals. In the present study diaphragm, heart, tongue and limb muscles of 22 American minks (Mustela vison), 12 polecats (Mustela putorius) 10 pine martens (Martes martes), 11 beech martens (Martes foina), 11 badgers (Meles meles), 1 otter (Lutra lutra) and 1 least weasel (Mustela nivalis) were examined. The objective of the present investigation was to determine prevalence and Sarcocystis species composition in Lithuanian mustelids examined. Sarcocysts were detected in diaphragm, tongue and limb muscles only. Based on morphological characteristics of sarcocysts, cyst wall and cystozoites, likewise 28S rRNA, 18S rRNA, cox1 and ITS-1 sequences analysis S. lutrae was identified in three American minks, two badgers, an otter and a polecat. Up until now, this Sarcocystis species was found in Eurasian otter and arctic fox. The intraspecific variability of S. lutrae determined in ITS-1 only. According to the DNA loci examined, S. lutrae had the highest sequence identity values with Sarcocystis species using birds and predatory mammals as intermediate hosts.