First Report of <i>Sarcocystis pilosa</i> from a Red Fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) Released for the Re-Introduction Project in South Korea

The red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) is a known host for various parasites, including numerous helminths and protozoans. Among these, certain species in the genus <i>Sarcocystis</i> (phylum Apicomplexa) have been documented to possess the capability to infect red foxes as defin...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yeonghoon Jo, Sook Jin Lee, Mohammed Mebarek Bia, Seongjun Choe, Dong-Hyuk Jeong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-12-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/1/89
Description
Summary:The red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) is a known host for various parasites, including numerous helminths and protozoans. Among these, certain species in the genus <i>Sarcocystis</i> (phylum Apicomplexa) have been documented to possess the capability to infect red foxes as definitive hosts. In South Korea, red foxes have been introduced and released as part of a re-introduction program. However, two months after its release, one of the foxes was found dead because of illegal trapping. The fox was necropsied, and a subsequent coprological study revealed oocysts of <i>Sarcocystis</i> sp. in the intestinal contents. The oocysts were identified as <i>Sarcocystis pilosa</i> based on the 18S rRNA and cytochrome <i>c</i> oxidase subunit 1 (<i>cox1</i>) gene sequences. It exhibited a 99.7–100% identity with 18S rRNA gene sequences and 99.1–99.8% identity with <i>cox1</i> gene sequences from other previously reported <i>S. pilosa</i> samples. Additionally, it showed identities of 95.4–96.4% and 91.1–91.5% with the <i>cox1</i> gene sequences of <i>S. hjorti</i> and <i>S. gjerdei</i>, while demonstrating 99.6 and 98.1% identity with the 18S rRNA gene sequences of <i>S. hjorti</i> and <i>S. gjerdei</i>, respectively. This is the first report from mainland Asia, excluding the Japanese archipelago, indicating that the life cycle of <i>S. pilosa</i> persists in South Korea.
ISSN:2076-2615