The prevalence of Sarcocystis Lankester, 1882, in some bird species in western Canada, with notes on its life cycle

Abstract

The prevalence of Sarcocystis in 930 birds of 58 species from western Canada is reported. All birds were examined for macroscopic cysts, and tissue from 916 birds was also examined histologically for microscopic cysts. Different prevalences were obtained for several species, and nine new host records are reported. Histological examination of muscle revealed Sarcocystis in many birds which would have otherwise been reported uninfected because only microscopic cysts were present. The prevalence of Sarcocystis in some anatids in Alberta was significantly different from two other surveys. Different migratory routes and overwintering g rounds in each of the studies are suggested as explanations for these findings. Several unsuccessful attempts to complete the life cycle using dogs, coyotes, mink, ferrets, cats, kittens, and rats are reported. The failure to establish infection in any of these carnivores with the macroscopic cysts from ducks is considered supporting evidence for the hypothesis that this parasite is transmitted by another host in another area.

Sarcocystis in the birds family Corvidae with description of Sarcocystis cornixi sp. nov. from the hooded crow (Corvus cornix)

“…Due to an insufficient number of individuals examined, it is difficult to judge about prevalence of infection in the birds of other species. We share the opinion of Drouin and Mahrt (1979) that differences in infection with Sarcocystis in separate species of birds are not accidental. This depends on the age of the bird, its physiological, behavioural features and the geographicalecological conditions, as well as on the abundance of definitive hosts in the living environment of birds.…”

“…Drouin and Mahrt (1979) found sarcocysts in 40.0% of corvids examined in western Canada. The highest prevalence of infection was registered in the magpie (Pica pica)-the parasite was found in 23 out Fig.…”

“…Birds like mammals may serve as intermediate or definitive hosts for many Sarcocystis species (Drouin and Mahrt 1979;Munday et al 1979;Černá 1984;Dubey et al 1989). Asexual reproduction of sarcocysts usually occurs in the muscles of granivorous, insectivorous and omnivorous birds.…”

Sarcocystis sp. from white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons): cyst morphology and life cycle studies

“…The ducks on which main studies have been carried out in North America (Erickson 1940;Cornwell 1963;Chabreck 1965;Hoppe 1976;Drouin and Mahrt 1979;Costanzo 1990) have been investigated best. Publications of this nature are not abundant in Europe and Asia (Pak and Eshtokina 1984;Kalisińska et al 2003;Kutkienė and Sruoga 2004).…”

Sarcocystis sp. from the goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos): cyst morphology and ribosomal DNA analysis

“…For example, according to the data of Chabreck (1965), in Louisiana, Sarcocystis macrocysts were detected in 27.2% adult mallards, whereas on the Southern High Plains of Texas, macrocysts were found only in 8 adult mallards out of 143 examined (Fedynich and Pence 1992). In Canada macrocysts and microcysts were recorded in skeletal muscles of 6 out of 264 mallards (Drouin and Mahrt 1979). In our case, macrocysts in the neck muscles were detected in 1.5% of the mallards examined, which, on the basis of morphological features, were identified as S. rileyi.…”