A Case of Bovine Eosinophilic Myositis (BEM) Associated with Co-Infection by <i>Sarcocystis hominis</i> and <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>

Bovine eosinophilic myositis (BEM) is a specific inflammatory myopathy, often associated with <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp., with multifocal gray-green lesions leading to carcass condemnation with considerable economic losses. Here is described a peculiar case of BEM that occurred in an adult...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Filippo Maria Dini, Monica Caffara, Joana G. P. Jacinto, Cinzia Benazzi, Arcangelo Gentile, Roberta Galuppi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-01-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/2/311
Description
Summary:Bovine eosinophilic myositis (BEM) is a specific inflammatory myopathy, often associated with <i>Sarcocystis</i> spp., with multifocal gray-green lesions leading to carcass condemnation with considerable economic losses. Here is described a peculiar case of BEM that occurred in an adult (16 month) cattle, born in France, bred, and slaughtered in Italy at the end of 2021. On inspection, muscles showed the typical multifocal gray-green lesions that were sampled for, cytological, histological, and molecular investigations, while meat juice was subjected to IFAT for <i>Toxoplasma</i> IgG. Genomic DNA was extracted from lesions, portions of healthy muscle and from meat juice pellet and analyzed by PCR targeting 18S rDNA, COI mtDNA and B1 genes, and sequenced. The cytology showed inflammatory cells mostly referable to eosinophils; at histology, protozoan cysts and severe granulomatous myositis were observed. A BEM lesion and meat juice pellet subjected to PCR showed, concurrently, sequences referable both to <i>S. hominis</i> and <i>T. gondii</i>. Meat juice IFAT resulted negative for <i>T. gondii</i> IgG. Our findings highlight the first detection of <i>T. gondii</i> DNA in association with <i>S. hominis</i> in a BEM case, suggesting a multiple parasite infection associated with this pathology, although the actual role of <i>T. gondii</i> infection in the pathophysiology of the diseases should be clarified.
ISSN:2076-2615