5238
Ahmed Mosad El-Morsey
Studies on Sarcocystis species infecting wild and migratory birds
Sarcocystis, wild birds, migratory, TEM, molecular, sequeneirs, phylogeny
Sarcocystis species are among the widespread apicomplexans infecting mammals, birds and reptiles. Here, we record infection for the first time with Sarcocystis chloropusae n. sp. from the common moorhens (Gallinula chloropus) from Brullus Lake, KafrElsheikh, Egypt. Sarcocysts morphologic characters were described using light and transmission electron microscopy. Sarcocysts were observed in neck, thigh and legs muscles of only two birds from 25 examined moorhens. Sarcocysts of S.chloropusae averaged 150 − 650 μm in length x 35 − 185 μm in width. Histologically, the cyst wall was striated and characterized by the existence of radial spine-like structures. Using TEM, the cyst wall measured 2 − 4.5 μm thick and possessed irregularly shaped crowded finger-like villar protrusions that averaged 1.5 − 4 μm in length and reached up to 0.4 − 2 μm in width. Dense electron ground substance (GS) of 200 − 750 nm in thickness was present under the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane. Several septa originated from the ground substance and divided the sarcocyst into several chambers packed with cystozoites and metrocytes. Cystozoites werebanana like or crescent shape or sometimes elongated. Zoitesaveraged from 6 − 12 μm in length x 1 – 2 μm in width with centrally or posteriorly situated nuclei.
2016
Ph.d
Kafr Elsheikh
Veterinary Medicine