Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in Egypt
Sarcocystosis is considered one of the major parasitic diseases with a worldwide distribution. It is caused by the obligatory intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus <i>Sarcocystis</i>. Besides its public health issues, sarcocystosis results in significant economic losses due to i...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/7/4/162 |
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| author | Ahmed Gareh Mahmoud Soliman Amira A. Saleh Fatma A. El-Gohary Heba M. M. El-Sherbiny Ragab H. Mohamed Ehab Kotb Elmahallawy |
| author_facet | Ahmed Gareh Mahmoud Soliman Amira A. Saleh Fatma A. El-Gohary Heba M. M. El-Sherbiny Ragab H. Mohamed Ehab Kotb Elmahallawy |
| author_sort | Ahmed Gareh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sarcocystosis is considered one of the major parasitic diseases with a worldwide distribution. It is caused by the obligatory intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus <i>Sarcocystis</i>. Besides its public health issues, sarcocystosis results in significant economic losses due to its impact on productivity and milk yield. A wide range of final and intermediate hosts have been identified, including mammals, birds, and reptiles; however, few studies have investigated the contribution of camels to maintaining the epidemiological foci of the disease in countries such as Egypt. The present study was conducted to grossly and histopathologically identify the prevalence rate of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in camels (<i>N</i> = 100) from the Aswan Governorate, Egypt. Furthermore, the major risk factors related to the development of sarcocystosis in camels were investigated. Samples from the diaphragm, cardiac muscle, esophagus, and testes of the slaughtered camels were collected. Interestingly, <i>Sarcocystis</i> was detected in 75% of the examined camels. Following the studied variable factors, camels aged 5 years or more were found to be at higher risk, with an infection rate of 87.7% (57 of 65) than those younger than 5 years. The infection rate was 81.4% (57 of 70) in males and 60% (18 of 30) in females. The esophagus was the most affected organ (49%), followed by the diaphragm (26%) and cardiac muscle (17%), whereas none of the testes samples were affected. Taken together, the present study demonstrates the high prevalence of <i>Sarcocystis</i> in the examined camels and suggests the importance of these animals in preserving the epidemiological foci of sarcocystosis in Egypt. Future research should map the circulating strains in Egypt and aim to raise public health awareness about the importance of sarcocystosis and other related zoonotic diseases. |
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| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:19:05Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-bab5710132564d469a0402073898ed942023-11-20T18:38:31ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812020-10-017416210.3390/vetsci7040162Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in EgyptAhmed Gareh0Mahmoud Soliman1Amira A. Saleh2Fatma A. El-Gohary3Heba M. M. El-Sherbiny4Ragab H. Mohamed5Ehab Kotb Elmahallawy6Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan 24101, EgyptDepartment of Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71515, EgyptDepartment of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, EgyptDepartment of Hygiene and Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, EgyptEducational Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, EgyptDepartment of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan 24101, EgyptDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of León (ULE), 24071 León, SpainSarcocystosis is considered one of the major parasitic diseases with a worldwide distribution. It is caused by the obligatory intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus <i>Sarcocystis</i>. Besides its public health issues, sarcocystosis results in significant economic losses due to its impact on productivity and milk yield. A wide range of final and intermediate hosts have been identified, including mammals, birds, and reptiles; however, few studies have investigated the contribution of camels to maintaining the epidemiological foci of the disease in countries such as Egypt. The present study was conducted to grossly and histopathologically identify the prevalence rate of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in camels (<i>N</i> = 100) from the Aswan Governorate, Egypt. Furthermore, the major risk factors related to the development of sarcocystosis in camels were investigated. Samples from the diaphragm, cardiac muscle, esophagus, and testes of the slaughtered camels were collected. Interestingly, <i>Sarcocystis</i> was detected in 75% of the examined camels. Following the studied variable factors, camels aged 5 years or more were found to be at higher risk, with an infection rate of 87.7% (57 of 65) than those younger than 5 years. The infection rate was 81.4% (57 of 70) in males and 60% (18 of 30) in females. The esophagus was the most affected organ (49%), followed by the diaphragm (26%) and cardiac muscle (17%), whereas none of the testes samples were affected. Taken together, the present study demonstrates the high prevalence of <i>Sarcocystis</i> in the examined camels and suggests the importance of these animals in preserving the epidemiological foci of sarcocystosis in Egypt. Future research should map the circulating strains in Egypt and aim to raise public health awareness about the importance of sarcocystosis and other related zoonotic diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/7/4/162camelEgyptepidemiologyhistopathology<i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. |
| spellingShingle | Ahmed Gareh Mahmoud Soliman Amira A. Saleh Fatma A. El-Gohary Heba M. M. El-Sherbiny Ragab H. Mohamed Ehab Kotb Elmahallawy Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in Egypt Veterinary Sciences camel Egypt epidemiology histopathology <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. |
| title | Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in Egypt |
| title_full | Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in Egypt |
| title_fullStr | Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in Egypt |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in Egypt |
| title_short | Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (<i>Camelus dromedarius</i>) in Egypt |
| title_sort | epidemiological and histopathological investigation of i sarcocystis i spp in slaughtered dromedary camels i camelus dromedarius i in egypt |
| topic | camel Egypt epidemiology histopathology <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp. |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/7/4/162 |
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