Traditional, histopathological and molecular diagnosis of sarcocytosis in slaughtered sheep in Al-Diwaniyah province, Iraq

The presented investigation was performed to identify Sarcocystis species, in an intermediate-host parasite with zoonotic importance, infection in slaughtered sheep identified by traditional, histological, and molecular methods in Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq. Here, 70 intercostal and esophageal muscle samples 10-40 gm/each were collected from slaughtered sheep. The samples were examined for detection of the Sarcocystic bradyzoites using microscopic, histological, 18S rRNA gene-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-product-dependent gene sequencing methods. The results of the microscopic method revealed that 65 (93%) of the muscle samples contained bradyzoites. The histopathological picture showed the presence of two microsarcocysts with different morphological thin or thick wall sizes. The PCR demonstrated that 68/70 (97%) of the samples were positive for the occurrence of the parasite DNA. According to the NCBI-based websites, the Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolates from the current study were closely similar in their nucleotide sequences with isolates from Norway, Egypt, and Iran. The present data indicate high infection levels by Sarcocystis spp. in slaughtered sheep, which could bring alarm for public health importance.