Identification of <i>Sarcocystis</i> Spp. in One-humped Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) from Riyadh and Dammam, Saudi Arabia, via Histological and Phylogenetic Approaches

• Main Authors: Dina M. Metwally, Tahani T. Al-Otaibi, Isra M. Al-Turaiki, Manal F. El-Khadragy, Reem A. Alajmi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-06-01
• Series: Animals
• Subjects: Sarcocystis spp.; COX1; Camelus dromedarius
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/7/1108
• ISSN: 2076-2615

<i>Sarcocystis</i> <i>(S.) </i>spp. are intracellular protozoan parasites that infect birds and animals, resulting in substantial commercial losses. <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. have an indirect life cycle; canines and felines are known to act as final hosts, and numerous domestic and wild animals act as intermediate hosts. The presence of sarcocysts in camel meat may diminish its commercial quality. There is limited knowledge regarding the taxonomy and diagnosis of <i>Sarcocystis </i>spp. that infect camels in Saudi Arabia. In this study, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed <i>S. cameli</i> and <i>S. camelicanis</i> (<i>camelicanis</i>) in <i>Camelus</i> <i>(C.) dromedarius</i>. This is the first report of <i>S. camelicanis</i> in Saudi Arabia and is considered a significant finding. Based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COX1) sequences, two samples of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. isolated from <i>C. dromedarius</i> in Riyadh and Dammam were grouped with <i>S. levinei</i> hosted by <i>Bubalus bubalis</i> in India, <i>S. rangi</i> hosted by <i>Rangifer tarandus</i> in Norway, <i>S. miescheriana</i> hosted by <i>Sus scrofa</i> in Italy and <i>S. fayeri</i> hosted by <i>Equus caballus</i> in Canada. The sequences obtained in this study have been deposited in GenBank.