Sarcocystis spp infection in Philippine water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

In a survey of sarcocysts in muscle tissues obtained from 142 water buffaloes, 65% of the carcasses had sarcocysts. Macroscopic and two forms of microscopic sarcocysts, the spindle-shaped or fusiform sarcocysts commonly occurring in the muscles of the esophagus, throat and limbs, and the globular to oval-shaped sarcocysts which were the dominant form in the diaphragm and cervical muscle tissues were noted. Ultrastructural analysis of macroscopic and microscopic sarcocysts and their cyst wall revealed two distinct species of Sarcocystis: the macroscopic species, Sarcocystis fusiformis which has been previously reported in Philippine carabaos possessing highly dendritic cauliflower-like projections emanating from the primary cyst wall, with annulated microfilaments and numerous electron dense granules: and the Sarcocystis levinei (Dissanaike and Kan, 1978) Huong, Dubey and Uggla. 1997 exhibiting a cyst wall with undulating and hair-like villar protrusions with expanded or dome-shaped base, intermediate finger-like, and distal tapering segments which at some points join to form conical tufts. Our findings represent the first report of S. levinei in the country supported with ultrastructural analysis of the sarcocysts and cyst wall, and likewise refute earlier published reports that all microscopic sarcocysts in Philippine carabaos are developing forms of the macroscopic species, S. fusiformis. Histopathological changes such as displacement and necrosis of the surrounding host muscle tissue were observed with macroscopic sarcocysts and histologically processed tissue samples containing microscopic fusiform sarcocysts. Necrotic myofibrils and mitochondria were evident in ultrathin sections.