Pathological studies on bubaline tissues naturally infected with Sarcocystis spp.

Sarcocystis spp. are tissue coccidian parasites having an obligatory two-host life cycle comprising sexual development and oocyst formation in the intestinal mucosa of their definitive hosts and asexual multiplication in vascular endothelial cells (schizont stage) and striated muscle cells (sarcocyst stage) of their intermediate hosts. Water buffaloes harbour Sarcocystis fusiformis and S. buffalonis as two macroscopic sarcocyst species, whereas S. levinei and S. sinensis/S. dubeyi form micro sarcocysts. Meat infected with sarcocysts warrant condemnation. The present study was designed to document the gross as well as histopathological alterations in buffaloes naturally infected with sarcocysts. The various tissue samples including oesophagus, tongue and heart were collected from buffaloes slaughtered at local slaughter houses of Mathura, Unnao and Aligarh along with those brought for necropsy to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Sciences, U.P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura. Macroscopic sarcocysts were common in oesophagus and tongue. The sarcocysts were creamy white in color and were spindle to fusiform in shape. The macroscopic sarcocysts found on the oesophagus were comparatively larger in size than those found on other parts of the body. Histopathological findings revealed muscle fiber degeneration around all those macroscopic sarcocysts. Heart, however, showed only micro sarcocysts. Histopathologically, degenerating sarcocysts, surrounded by inflammatory cells, were also visible. However, none of the inflammatory cells were observed around the intact cysts. Based on morphological features, the macroscopic sarcocysts were identified as those of S. fusiformis while the microscopic sarcocysts were identified as those of S.levinei.