Detection of Sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from Lithuanian farms
Most studies on apicomplexan Sarcocystis spp. in domestic animals have primarily focused on examining animal carcasses using both morphological and molecular methods. However, to accurately assess the risk of Sarcocystis infections in livestock and to develop effective prevention strategies, it is e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Food and Waterborne Parasitology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676625000149 |
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| author | Agnė Baranauskaitė Petras Prakas Modestas Petrauskas Selene Rubiola Elena Servienė Živilė Strazdaitė-Žielienė |
| author_facet | Agnė Baranauskaitė Petras Prakas Modestas Petrauskas Selene Rubiola Elena Servienė Živilė Strazdaitė-Žielienė |
| author_sort | Agnė Baranauskaitė |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Most studies on apicomplexan Sarcocystis spp. in domestic animals have primarily focused on examining animal carcasses using both morphological and molecular methods. However, to accurately assess the risk of Sarcocystis infections in livestock and to develop effective prevention strategies, it is essential to investigate the environmental reservoirs of these parasites. The aim of this study was to identify Sarcocystis species with domestic animals as intermediate hosts by analysing environmental samples (water, hay, and soil) collected from Lithuanian farms and to compare their occurrence across different sample types. In total, 90 environmental samples were collected over 3 years and analysed for the presence of Sarcocystis spp. using nested polymerase chain reactions targeting the cox1 gene. The results indicated that livestock are most likely to acquire infections via the ingestion of contaminated water or feed, while soil posed a lower risk of transmission. An assessment of species distribution across sampled farms revealed that the type of livestock raised did not influence the diversity of Sarcocystis spp. Notably, at least six of seven target species (S. arieticanis, S. bertrami, S. bovifelis, S. capracanis, S. cruzi, S. miescheriana, S. tenella) were detected at least once on eight of 10 farms. Additionally, two zoonotic Sarcocystis species, S. hominis and S. suihominis, were identified in environmental samples. This study emphasises the potential risk of livestock infection through contaminated environmental and feed sources and highlights the critical role of environmental monitoring in preventing the transmission of Sarcocystis spp. to farm animals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0a53eb2e8c1d4b0dbf3c6a79a20d3154 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2405-6766 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Food and Waterborne Parasitology |
| spelling | doaj-art-0a53eb2e8c1d4b0dbf3c6a79a20d31542025-08-20T03:24:34ZengElsevierFood and Waterborne Parasitology2405-67662025-06-0139e0026710.1016/j.fawpar.2025.e00267Detection of Sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from Lithuanian farmsAgnė Baranauskaitė0Petras Prakas1Modestas Petrauskas2Selene Rubiola3Elena Servienė4Živilė Strazdaitė-Žielienė5State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos st. 2, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania; Corresponding author.State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos st. 2, Vilnius 08412, LithuaniaState Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos st. 2, Vilnius 08412, LithuaniaDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Torino 10095, ItalyState Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos st. 2, Vilnius 08412, LithuaniaState Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos st. 2, Vilnius 08412, LithuaniaMost studies on apicomplexan Sarcocystis spp. in domestic animals have primarily focused on examining animal carcasses using both morphological and molecular methods. However, to accurately assess the risk of Sarcocystis infections in livestock and to develop effective prevention strategies, it is essential to investigate the environmental reservoirs of these parasites. The aim of this study was to identify Sarcocystis species with domestic animals as intermediate hosts by analysing environmental samples (water, hay, and soil) collected from Lithuanian farms and to compare their occurrence across different sample types. In total, 90 environmental samples were collected over 3 years and analysed for the presence of Sarcocystis spp. using nested polymerase chain reactions targeting the cox1 gene. The results indicated that livestock are most likely to acquire infections via the ingestion of contaminated water or feed, while soil posed a lower risk of transmission. An assessment of species distribution across sampled farms revealed that the type of livestock raised did not influence the diversity of Sarcocystis spp. Notably, at least six of seven target species (S. arieticanis, S. bertrami, S. bovifelis, S. capracanis, S. cruzi, S. miescheriana, S. tenella) were detected at least once on eight of 10 farms. Additionally, two zoonotic Sarcocystis species, S. hominis and S. suihominis, were identified in environmental samples. This study emphasises the potential risk of livestock infection through contaminated environmental and feed sources and highlights the critical role of environmental monitoring in preventing the transmission of Sarcocystis spp. to farm animals.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676625000149SarcocystisEnvironmental samplesZoonotic transmissionMolecular detectioncox1 |
| spellingShingle | Agnė Baranauskaitė Petras Prakas Modestas Petrauskas Selene Rubiola Elena Servienė Živilė Strazdaitė-Žielienė Detection of Sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from Lithuanian farms Food and Waterborne Parasitology Sarcocystis Environmental samples Zoonotic transmission Molecular detection cox1 |
| title | Detection of Sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from Lithuanian farms |
| title_full | Detection of Sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from Lithuanian farms |
| title_fullStr | Detection of Sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from Lithuanian farms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection of Sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from Lithuanian farms |
| title_short | Detection of Sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from Lithuanian farms |
| title_sort | detection of sarcocystis parasites in environmental samples from lithuanian farms |
| topic | Sarcocystis Environmental samples Zoonotic transmission Molecular detection cox1 |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676625000149 |
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