<i>Sarcocystis</i> Species Richness in Sheep and Goats from Lithuania
Alina Marandykina-Prakienė | Dalius Butkauskas | Naglis Gudiškis | Evelina Juozaitytė-Ngugu | Dovilė Laisvūnė Bagdonaitė | Muza Kirjušina | Rafael Calero-Bernal | Petras Prakas
Contradictory data is available on the intermediate host specificity of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in farm animals. Therefore, the current work aimed at molecularly testing samples of sheep and goats reared in Lithuania to identify <i>Sarcocystis</i> species described in other intermediate hosts but suspected to be non-canonical parasites to these small ruminants. For this purpose, muscle samples from 47 domestic sheep and nine goats were examined. <i>Sarcocystis</i> species were identified using direct and nested PCR targeting <i>cox1</i> and sequencing of positive amplified products. Along with the detection of the canonical <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in their respective intermediate hosts, the DNA of <i>S</i>. <i>capracanis</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>morae</i> was detected in sheep, although these species were previously thought to be specific to goats and deer, respectively. In addition, DNA from <i>S</i>. <i>arieticanis</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>tenella</i> was found in goats, even though these two species were believed to be sheep-specific. Notably, under light microscopy, only sarcocysts of <i>S</i>. <i>capracanis</i> specific to goats were observed. Thus, future research on the life cycle and host-specificity of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. examined is warranted.
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