Human intestinal sarcocystosis in Iran: there but not seen

Abstract

Human sarcocystosis is a rare infection caused by the genus Sarcocystis who human serve as definitive (intestinal form of infection) host or intermediate (extraintestinal form) host for some various Sarcocystis species. The detection of Sarcocystis oocysts/sporocysts in the feces usually incidentally and is achieved by microscopic examination of the fresh or preserved specimens. To rule out any parasitological etiology among 23,875 (aged 2 months to 95 years) apparently immunocompetent Iranian individuals (from October of 2010 to June of 2016) with abdominal discomforts referred to several teaching hospitals and local clinical laboratories in Fars Province, Iran, their fecal samples were examined using light microscopy. Most pathogenic parasite-positive and doubtful samples were sent to the Intestinal Protozoology Laboratories of Fasa and Shiraz Universities of Medical Sciences to further examination to detect probable co-infection with other underdiagnose parasitoses. In addition to the common protozoal and helminthic infections, during the course of examining stool specimens using direct smear mixed with saline or iodine mounts and by formalin-ethyl acetate techniques, four cases of intestinal Sarcocystis infection as only or concurrently infected with other parasites were found. The present paper presents cases of human intestinal Sarcocystis infection in Iran. Since Sarcocystis are small in size and usually rare in stool, they often go unnoticed. It should be noted that stool smears must be examined with great care to avoid misinterpretation of Sarcocystis infections in microscopic examinations. To the best of our knowledge, co-infection of intestinal sarcocystosis and other principal parasitoses in stool investigations has not been reported earlier.

Parasitic diseases of camels in Iran (1931–2017) – a literature review

“…There have been several cases of intestinal Sarcocystis infection in humans in Iran, but there is little information about the parasites’ molecular characteristics [4]. Until very recently, there was confusion concerning Sarcocystis species in dromedary camels.…”

Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis spp in tissues of Sus scrofa slaughtered in southern Brazil

“…Furthermore, humans can become definitive hosts for this pathogen after the accidental ingestion of oocysts. Symptoms, such as fever, myalgia, myositis, cough, bronchospasm, itchy rashes, and subcutaneous nodules, have been reported ( Rosenthal, 2021 ), with the largest outbreaks recorded in Southeast Asia ( Agholi et al, 2016 ; Shahari et al, 2016 ; Lau et al, 2014 ).…”