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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #333469
Research Project: Detection and Control of Foodborne Parasites for Food Safety

Location: Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory

Title: Identification of macroscopic sarcocysts of Sarcocystis cameli from camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Iraq

Author
item Dubey, Jitender
item NAJI, NOAMAN - University Of Al-Qadissiyah
item Mowery, Joseph
item VERMA, SHIV - Non ARS Employee
item CALERO-BERNAL, RAFAEL - Non ARS Employee

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitic Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/2017
Publication Date: 4/20/2017
Citation: Dubey, J.P., Naji, N., Mowery, J.D., Verma, S., Calero-Bernal, R. 2017. Identification of macroscopic sarcocysts of Sarcocystis cameli from camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Iraq. Journal of Parasitic Diseases. 103(2):168-169.

Interpretive Summary: Food safety is a continued public health interest. Developmental stages of several parasites, Toxoplasma, Sarcocystis, Trichinella are found in muscle of food animals. Sarcocystis stage (sarcocyst) can be visible to the naked eye and such infected meat (portions or whole carcass)are condemned at slaughter and not suitable for human consumption. Camels are important to the economy of several countries. In the present study, the authors identified for the first time macroscopic sarcocysts in camel. These findings will be of interest to parasitologists, veterinarians, and biologists.

Technical Abstract: There is considerable confusion concerning the identity of macroscopic Sarcocystis species in camels. Currently two species: Sarcocystis cameli, and S. ippeni are recognized from one humped camel (Camelus dromedarius), and sarcocysts of both species are microscopic. Here, we report identity of macroscopic sarcocysts from the C. dromedarius in Iraq as Sarcocystis cameli. Five sarcocysts from the muscle of two adult camels collected in 1999 and stored in 10% formalin were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sarcocysts were 1.5 to 5.0 mm long. By TEM, all five sarcocysts had thin sarcocyst wall. Ultrstructurally, the sarcocyst wall had "type 9j" villar protrusions similar to those of S. cameli. This is the first identification of any Sarcocystis species from camels in Iraq.