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.
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