Sarcocystis infections in bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Minnesota, USA

IF 1.4 Q3 PARASITOLOGY

Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports Pub Date : 2025-07-15 DOI:10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101319

Jitender P. Dubey , Aditya Gupta , Benjamin M. Rosenthal , Rafael Calero-Bernal , Carolin Humpal , Michelle Carstensen

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Abstract

Species of Sarcocystis parasitize a wide range of vertebrate hosts, sometimes causing disease in humans and animals. Here, frozen muscles of 239 bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Minnesota were tested for Sarcocystis infections. After thawing, muscles were examined microscopically by compression preparations of unfixed muscles and histological sections of paraffin embedded tissues. Some sarcocysts were later characterized using electron microscopy and gene sequencing for comparison to other Sarcocystis species in the genus. In the first batch of 50 bobcats trapped in 2014–2015, only tongues were examined histologically and sarcocysts were found in 21 (42 %). In the second batch of 140 bobcats trapped in 2023–2024, tongues and limb muscles were examined by combined methods (histology and compression smears) detected infection in the muscles of 44 (31.4 %). In the third batch of 49 bobcats trapped in 2025, tongues, limb muscles and myocardium were examined histologically, and sarcocysts were found in histological sections of 15 tongues, 7 limb muscles and none in hearts. In two of these most heavily infected bobcats, myositis was found in limb muscles. Overall, sarcocysts were detected in 82 of 239 (34.3 %) bobcats. Based on the character of the sarcocyst walls by light microscopy, three morphologic types of sarcocysts were detected. With transmission electron microscopic examination, one of these sarcocyst types could not be distinguished from Sarcocystis felis (originally described from the bobcat) or Sarcocystis caninum (described from the domestic dog) in this study. Multilocus genotyping confirmed one of the Sarcocystis derived from bobcat tongue samples to be either Sarcocystis arctica or Sarcocystis caninum, with all three gene regions (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and cox1) showing 98–100 % sequence identity to isolates of S. arctica or S. caninum; S. felis has not been molecularly characterized from the bobcat. Phylogenetic analysis also revealed the clustering of specimens under study with isolates of S. arctica and S. caninum with strong bootstrap support. Results of the study affirm that contrary to assumptions, muscular Sarcocystis infections in bobcats are common, Sarcocystis species may not be host specific in the carnivorous hosts, and some of them cause clinical disease in dogs.

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美国明尼苏达州山猫（Lynx rufus）的肌囊虫感染

肉囊虫的种类寄生在广泛的脊椎动物宿主，有时引起人类和动物的疾病。在这里，来自明尼苏达州的239只山猫（Lynx rufus）的冷冻肌肉进行了肌囊虫感染测试。解冻后，通过未固定肌肉的压缩制剂和石蜡包埋组织的组织学切片进行显微镜观察。一些肌囊后来用电子显微镜和基因测序进行了表征，以便与该属的其他肌囊菌物种进行比较。在2014-2015年捕获的第一批50只山猫中，仅对舌头进行了组织学检查，其中21只（42%）发现了结节囊肿。在2023-2024年捕获的第二批140只山猫中，采用组织学和压迫涂片相结合的方法对舌头和肢体肌肉进行检查，发现44只（31.4%）肌肉感染。2025年第三批捕获49只山猫，对其舌头、肢体肌肉和心肌组织进行组织学检查，舌组织切片15只，肢体肌肉切片7只，心脏组织切片未见结节囊肿。在其中两只感染最严重的山猫中，四肢肌肉发现了肌炎。总体而言，239只山猫中有82只（34.3%）检测到结节囊肿。根据光镜下肌囊壁的特征，可检出三种形态的肌囊。通过透射电镜检查，在本研究中，其中一种类型的肌囊肿无法与猫科动物（最初来自山猫）或犬类（来自家养狗）的肌囊肿区分开来。多位点基因分型证实来自山猫舌样本的一种肉囊菌为北极肉囊菌或犬肉囊菌，所有三个基因区域（18S rRNA、28S rRNA和cox1）序列与北极或犬肉囊菌分离物具有98 - 100%的同源性；猫的分子特征还没有从山猫。系统发育分析还显示，所研究的标本与S. arctica和S. caninum分离株具有较强的聚类支持。研究结果证实，与假设相反，在山猫中肌肉肌囊虫感染是常见的，肉食性宿主中肌囊虫的种类可能不是宿主特异性的，其中一些在狗中引起临床疾病。

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来源期刊

Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports Multiple-

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

7.10%

发文量

126

审稿时长

97 days

期刊介绍： Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports focuses on aspects of veterinary parasitology that are of regional concern, which is especially important in this era of climate change and the rapid and often unconstrained travel of people and animals. Relative to regions, this journal will accept papers of the highest quality dealing with all aspects of disease prevention, pathology, treatment, epidemiology, and control of parasites within the field of veterinary medicine. Also, case reports will be considered as they add to information related to local disease and its control; such papers must be concise and represent appropriate medical intervention. Papers on veterinary parasitology from wildlife species are acceptable, but only if they relate to the practice of veterinary medicine. Studies on vector-borne bacterial and viral agents are suitable, but only if the paper deals with vector transmission of these organisms to domesticated animals. Studies dealing with parasite control by means of natural products, both in vivo and in vitro, are more suited for one of the many journals that now specialize in papers of this type. However, due to the regional nature of much of this research, submissions may be considered based upon a case being made by the author(s) to the Editor. Circumstances relating to animal experimentation must meet the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals as issued by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (obtainable from: Executive Secretary C.I.O.M.S., c/o W.H.O., Via Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland).