Eosinophilic Myositis due to Sarcocystis hominis in a Beef Cow

doi:10.1016/j.jcpa.2006.07.004

Journal of Comparative Pathology

Volume 135, Issue 4, November 2006, Pages 249-253

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2006.07.004 Get rights and content

Summary

A case of eosinophilic myositis (EM) in an 8-year-old beef cow was investigated. The animal originated from a herd in which a high incidence of the disease had been observed in slaughtered adult females over a period of 2 years. Histologically, the lesions in the muscles were characterized as granulomas with a central core of degenerate eosinophils and remnants of necrotic muscle fibres, surrounded by a rim of epithelioid cells and fibrous tissue with an infiltrate consisting predominantly of eosinophils radiating outwards. Degenerate sarcocysts with a thick (7–9 μm) wall were present in the suppurative centre of most lesions. Intact sarcocysts with similar morphology were present in adjacent muscle fibres but without an associated inflammatory reaction. By transmission electron microscopy the sarcocysts were identified as Sarcocystis hominis, based on the morphology of villar protrusions of the sarcocyst wall, which were broad-based and cylindrical, with a blunt distal end, and contained numerous long microfilaments. Circumstantial evidence indicated a human source of infection, human faecal material having been spread on the pasture grazed by the cattle. The findings supported a causal relationship between S. hominis infection and EM in cattle.

Section snippets

Acknowledgments

We thank R. D. Sumter, Veterinary Practice “De Vossenbrink”, Delden, The Netherlands for submission of the case and for relevant information, and Mr John Jenkins, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC for invaluable electron micrography.

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Cited by (40)

Detection of Sarcocystis hominis, Sarcocystis bovifelis, Sarcocystis cruzi, Sarcocystis hirsuta and Sarcocystis sigmoideus sp. nov. in carcasses affected by bovine eosinophilic myositis
2024, Food and Waterborne Parasitology
Bovine eosinophilic myositis is an inflammatory myopathy characterized by multiple focal or diffuse grey to green patches leading to condemnation of affected carcasses. Although its etiology is still uncertain, there is evidence that Sarcocystis species may play a role in the development of eosinophilic myositis. The goal of the present study was to identify Sarcocystis spp. in intralesional and extralesional tissues of condemned cattle carcasses, in order to evaluate the possible role of different bovine Sarcocystis spp. in the etiology of bovine eosinophilic myositis. Muscle samples (n = 100) of 26 affected carcasses were collected in Northern Italy. One to five samples with lesions and two aliquots of tissue without lesions were collected from each carcass; lesions were grossly categorized in green focal lesions and green diffuse patches. Genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed by multiplex-PCR targeting different Sarcocystis spp. Unidentified species were characterized morphologically (light microscopy, histology), ultrastructurally (scanning and transmission electron microscopy) and on the molecular level (complete 18S rRNA gene and partial cox1 gene sequencing). A bovine eosinophilic myositis prevalence of 0.017% was visually assessed by routine carcass inspection between 2014 and 2019 in Italy (184/1,108,150 slaughtered cattle). Out of 26 carcasses, 25 revealed the presence of at least one Sarcocystis species (96.2%). The presence of Sarcocystis spp. DNA was significantly more frequent in intralesional than in extralesional samples. Considering the different species, Sarcocystis bovifelis and Sarcocystis hominis were significantly more frequent in intralesional (41.7% and 50%, respectively) than in extralesional samples (1.9% and 15.4%, respectively), while there was no significant difference between the presence of Sarcocystis cruzi and Sarcocystis hirsuta in intralesional (27.1% and 2.1%, respectively) and extralesional (30.8% and 1.9%, respectively) samples. The presence of an unnamed Sarcocystis sp. showing thick-walled (3.7–5.4 μm) cysts with densely packed, flattened, undulating and narrow protrusions, which showed an S-shape in side view, was recorded in the diaphragm of two carcasses. Genomic DNA from individual sarcocysts isolated from the diaphragm was successfully amplified and further sequenced. Sequence comparison revealed <94.6% and 83.4% identity at 18S rRNA and cox1 genes, respectively, with other named Sarcocystis spp., while the phylogenetic analysis clearly separated the unnamed Sarcocystis sp. from the other Sarcocystis spp. using cattle as intermediate hosts. The present study contributes to the understanding of the importance of different Sarcocystis spp. in the pathogenesis of bovine eosinophilic myositis. The results emphasize the association of Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis bovifelis with bovine eosinophilic myositis and highlight the presence of a new Sarcocystis sp. using cattle as intermediate hosts. The name Sarcocystis sigmoideus sp. nov. is proposed for the newly described Sarcocystis species.
Bovine sarcocystosis: Sarcocystis species, diagnosis, prevalence, economic and public health considerations, and association of Sarcocystis species with eosinophilic myositis in cattle
2023, International Journal for Parasitology
Citation Excerpt :
In the original description of S. heydorni, samples were not available for DNA characterization (Dubey et al., 2016b). There are three reports of S. heydorni in naturally infected cattle from China (Hu et al., 2016), the Netherlands (Hoeve-Bakker et al., 2019), and Belgium (Zeng et al., 2021). In China, S. heydorni sarcocysts were found in 173 of 1630 (10.6%) cattle; 9.7% in skeletal muscle, 3.4% in esophagus, 2.5% in diaphragm, 0.1% in tongue, and none in the heart.
Infections by Sarcocystis in cattle are ubiquitous worldwide. There is considerable debate concerning the identity of Sarcocystis spp. in cattle. Proper diagnosis of Sarcocystis spp. is important to assess their economic and public health importance. Currently there are seven named species: Sarcocystis hirsuta, Sarcocystis cruzi, Sarcocystis hominis, Sarcocystis bovifelis, arcocystis heydorni, Sarcocystis bovini and Sarcocystis rommeli. Additionally, there are unnamed Sarcocystis spp. Two species, S. hominis and S. heydorni, are zoonotic. One out of seven species (S. hirsuta, contracted from cats) forms macroscopic cysts which can be visible during carcass inspection. Current molecular characterization is based on DNA extracted from sarcocysts from naturally infected cattle because DNA was not characterized from tissues of experimentally infected cattle or feces of experimentally infected definitive hosts. Sarcocystis cruzi (transmitted via canids) is recognized as the most pathogenic species and it causes abortion, low milk yield, poor body growth, and outbreaks of clinical sarcocystosis and death. Additionally, Sarcocystis infections have been linked to an inflammatory condition of striated muscles termed bovine eosinophilic myositis (BEM). Cattle affected by BEM appear clinically normal. Diagnosis of BEM at slaughter occurs when inspecting the carcass surface, or once the carcass has been divided into prime cuts or quarters. Sex and breed have no apparent influence on prevalence of BEM. The condition evidently occurs with equal frequency in steers, cows, and heifers. Virtually all striated muscles can be affected including skeletal muscles, the muscles of the eye, larynx, and the heart. In the USA, regulations require condemnation of BEM-affected parts, or (in severe cases) the entire carcass. These aesthetic considerations result in economic losses. Cattle experimentally infected with Sarcocystis did not have BEM at slaughter. Here, we review the status of Sarcocystis spp. and BEM in cattle including prevalence, lesions, epidemiology, and association of BEM with different species of Sarcocystis.
Molecular detection of Sarcocystis cruzi in three beef carcases with eosinophilic myositis lesions and in unaffected beef from animals in the same herd
2022, Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports
Eosinophilic myositis in bovine striated muscle thought to be caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to the degradation of Sarcocystis tissue cysts, is a rare reason for carcase condemnation in the United Kingdom. This paper describes the identification of Sarcocystis cruzi associated with lesions of generalised eosinophilic myositis in three English beef carcases, by gross and histopathological examination followed by PCR with subsequent sequencing. Samples from two unaffected animals were also examined. Although sarcocystosis caused by S.cruzi is not considered a public health risk, the clinically affected carcases were deemed unfit for human consumption due to the extensive lesions affecting meat quality. We believe this to be the first report from the UK describing the molecular-based identification of Sarcocystis cruzi in meat affected and unaffected with eosinophilic myositis.
Zoonotic sarcocystis
2021, Research in Veterinary Science
Apicomplexan species in the genus Sarcocystis form tissue cysts, in their intermediate hosts, similar to those established in chronic toxoplasmosis. More than 200 species are known, but just a few are known to threaten human health owing to infection in livestock species. Intestinal sarcocystosis occurs when people consume raw or undercooked beef contaminated with Sarcocystis hominis or S. heydorni or undercooked pork contaminated with S. suihominis. Those infections may cause mild enteritis, but most infections are thought to be asymptomatic. People also become dead-end (intermediate) hosts for non-human Sarcocystis spp. after accidentally ingesting sporocysts, leading to extraintestinal sarcocystosis. The clinical spectrum may range from asymptomatic muscle cysts to a severe, acute, eosinophilic myositis associated with systemic symptoms with peripheral eosinophilia. Most human cases have been described from Southeast Asia, but Sarcocystis parasites have a worldwide distribution, especially where livestock is raised, and human infections in other areas have been described but may be underrecognized.
Sarcocystis infection in red deer (Cervus elaphus) with eosinophilic myositis/fasciitis in Switzerland and involvement of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and hunting dogs in the transmission
2020, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife
Red deer (Cervus elaphus) carcasses showing grey-greenish discolouration have been increasingly observed in the canton of Grisons, Switzerland. We investigated whether Sarcocystis infections were associated with this pathology, and whether wild and domestic canids were involved in their transmission. Meat from affected red deer (n = 26), faeces and intestines from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) (n = 126), and faeces from hunting dogs (n = 12) from the region, were analysed. Eosinophilic myositis and/or fasciitis were diagnosed in 69% of the deer, and sarcocysts were observed in 89% of the animals. Molecular typing targeting a ~700bp variable region of the 18S rRNA gene revealed Sarcocystis hjorti in 73%, S. venatoria/S. iberica in 54%, S. linearis/S. taeniata in 12%, S. pilosa in 8% and S. ovalis in 4% of the deer samples. No inflammatory changes were observed in red deer carcasses with normal appearance (n = 8); however, sarcocysts were observed in one sample, and S. hjorti, S. venatoria/S. iberica or S. silva DNA was detected in five samples. Sarcocystis oocysts/sporocysts were observed in 11/106 faecal and 6/20 intestinal fox samples, and in 2/12 canine samples. Sarcocystis tenella (n = 8), S. hjorti (n = 2), S. gracilis (n = 2), and S. miescheriana (n = 1) were identified in foxes, and S. gracilis (n = 2), S. capreolicanis (n = 1) and S. linearis/S. taeniata (n = 1) in dogs. This study provides first molecular evidence of S. pilosa and S. silva infection in red deer and S. linearis/S. taeniata in dogs and represents the first record of S. ovalis transmitted by corvids in Central Europe. Although Sarcocystis species infecting red deer are not regarded as zoonotic, the affected carcasses can be declared as unfit for human consumption due to the extensive pathological changes.
Molecular differentiation of cattle Sarcocystis spp. by multiplex PCR targeting 18S and COI genes following identification of Sarcocystis hominis in human stool samples
2020, Food and Waterborne Parasitology
Citation Excerpt :
Thus, species identification of intra-lesional Sarcocystis is important for understanding the contribution of specific species to BEM pathogenesis, and the difference between the very high prevalence of sarcocysts in cattle and the low prevalence of BEM lesions (Gajadhar and Marquardt, 1992; Vangeel et al., 2013). In fact, the few studies carried out in Italy at slaughterhouses reveal a prevalence of Sarcocystis infection between 80 and 96% (Bucca et al., 2011; Chiesa et al., 2013; Domenis et al., 2011; Meistro et al., 2015), which is in line with data reported from other countries (Cama, 2006; Moré et al., 2011; Vangeel et al., 2007; Wouda et al., 2006). These studies report the prevalence of S. hominis ranging from 42,7% (Domenis et al., 2011) to 68% (Meistro et al., 2015).
Sarcocystis spp. are protozoan parasites which can infect a wide range of vertebrates, including humans; the latter can act as definitive hosts for two cattle Sarcocystis spp.: Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis heydorni. Reports of intestinal sarcocystosis are well documented in the literature, but PCR-based methods have been scarcely used to identify Sarcocystis species in human stools, and have been limited to the molecular analysis of 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene sequences. Since the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene is one of the most promising tools for distinguishing between closely related Sarcocystis spp., and taking into account the lack of publicly available S. hominis COI sequences, in the present study we obtained the first partial COI sequence of S. hominis from human stool samples of patient with gastrointestinal symptoms. We designed specific COI primers to develop a multiplex PCR method for the identification of Sarcocystis spp. in cattle. The submission of the COI sequence described herein and the unambiguous identification of S. hominis through the application of the new multiplex PCR is important for determining the prevalence of this zoonotic Sarcocystis spp. in meat and the risk for consumers.

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Journal of Comparative Pathology

Summary

Section snippets

Acknowledgments

References (25)

The structure and the identity of macroscopically visible Sarcocystis cysts in cattle

Veterinary Parasitology

The prevalence and identity of Sarcocystis in beef cattle in New Zealand

Veterinary Parasitology

Ultrastructural differentiation between sarcocysts of Sarcocystis hirsuta and Sarcocystis hominis

Veterinary Parasitology

Serologische Sarcocystis-studien an menschen und ratten

Zeitschrift für Parasitenkunde

Drei Sarkosporidienarten bei Schlachtrindern in Süddeutschland

Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift

Experimental Sarcocystis hominis infection in cattle: lesions and ultrastructure of sarcocysts

Journal of Parasitology

Sarcocystosis of Animals and Man

Condemnation of beef because of Sarcocystis hirsuta infection

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Characterization of bovine Sarcocystis species by analysis of their 18S ribosomal DNA sequences

Journal of Parasitology

Ultrastructural and transmission evidence of Sarcocystis cruzi associated with eosinophilic myositis in cattle

Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research

Association of eosinophilic myositis with an unusual species of Sarcocystis in a beef cow

Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research

Type-I hypersensitivity as a component of eosinophilic myositis (muscular sarcocystosis) in cattle

American Journal of Veterinary Research

Cited by (40)

Detection of Sarcocystis hominis, Sarcocystis bovifelis, Sarcocystis cruzi, Sarcocystis hirsuta and Sarcocystis sigmoideus sp. nov. in carcasses affected by bovine eosinophilic myositis

Bovine sarcocystosis: Sarcocystis species, diagnosis, prevalence, economic and public health considerations, and association of Sarcocystis species with eosinophilic myositis in cattle

Molecular detection of Sarcocystis cruzi in three beef carcases with eosinophilic myositis lesions and in unaffected beef from animals in the same herd

Zoonotic sarcocystis

Sarcocystis infection in red deer (Cervus elaphus) with eosinophilic myositis/fasciitis in Switzerland and involvement of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and hunting dogs in the transmission

Molecular differentiation of cattle Sarcocystis spp. by multiplex PCR targeting 18S and COI genes following identification of Sarcocystis hominis in human stool samples

SHORT PAPEREosinophilic Myositis due to Sarcocystis hominis in a Beef Cow

Summary

Section snippets

Acknowledgments

Veterinary Parasitology

Veterinary Parasitology

Veterinary Parasitology

Serologische Sarcocystis-studien an menschen und ratten

Zeitschrift für Parasitenkunde

Drei Sarkosporidienarten bei Schlachtrindern in Süddeutschland

Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift

Experimental Sarcocystis hominis infection in cattle: lesions and ultrastructure of sarcocysts

Journal of Parasitology

Sarcocystosis of Animals and Man

Condemnation of beef because of Sarcocystis hirsuta infection

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Characterization of bovine Sarcocystis species by analysis of their 18S ribosomal DNA sequences

Journal of Parasitology

Ultrastructural and transmission evidence of Sarcocystis cruzi associated with eosinophilic myositis in cattle

Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research

Association of eosinophilic myositis with an unusual species of Sarcocystis in a beef cow

Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research

Type-I hypersensitivity as a component of eosinophilic myositis (muscular sarcocystosis) in cattle

American Journal of Veterinary Research

SHORT PAPER
Eosinophilic Myositis due to Sarcocystis hominis in a Beef Cow