Eight Polled Dorset lambs were orally inoculated with Sarcocystis ovicanis sporocysts. Two lambs that received 100,000 or 200,000 sporocysts became clinically ill, recovered, and were killed 67 and 88 days after inoculation (DAI). Numerous intramuscular cysts were found in their skeletal and cardiac muscles. Three lambs received 100,000 sporocysts, three lambs received 1 million sporocysts, and three lambs received no sporocysts. After an acute clinical illness characterized by anemia, inappetence, weight loss, fever, and reduced serum protein, all lambs that received 100,000 sporocysts died 27 to 29 DAI and all that received 1 million sporocysts died 24 or 25 DAI. Hemorrhage involving the striated muscle and visceral organs was the most apparent gross lesion. The heart appeared most severely affected. Schizonts were found in vascular endothelial cells of all six inoculated lambs. Uninoculated lambs remained healthy, and neither lesions nor parasites were found in any tissues. Dogs fed tissues containing S. ovicanis cysts produced sporocytes 11 to 37 days after feeding; cats fed similar stages produced no sporocysts. Dogs fed tissues containing schizonts produced no sporocysts.
Sixteen pregnant cows were divided into four equal groups. Groups 1 and 2 were uninoculated controls; Groups 3 and 4 received 60,000 and 120,000 S. bovicanis sporocysts per os, respectively, about 30 days before expected parturition. Stained smears of colostrum from each quarter of the udder of each cow were examined microscopically for zoites. As a bioassay for infectious zoites in colostrum of acutely infected cows, colostrum from infected Group 4 cows was fed to calves from control Group 1 cows. Calves in Groups 2 and 3 received colostrum from their dams. Calves in Group 1 received colostrum from uninoculated normal cows. All calves were killed at 61 to 68 days of age and their tissues examined microscopically for Sarcocystis cysts. Because zoites were not found in colostrum smears and cysts were not found in calf tissues, it was concluded that lactogenic transmission of S. bovicanis did not occur.
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