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Canon-Franco, W.A.; Lopez-Orozco, N.; Christoff, A.U.; de Castilho, C.S.; de Araujo, F.A.P.; Verma, S.K.; Dubey, J.P.; Soares, R.M.; Gennari, S.M.
Molecular and morphologic characterization of _Sarcocystis felis_ in South American wild felids from Brazil
2016  Veterinary Parasitology (217): 15-20

Wild felids are thought to share parasites with domestic cats. However, little is known of the coccidian parasites of wild felids. We investigated the presence of Sarcocystis spp. in tissues of 6 species of 90 Neotropical small felids killed in road accidents in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil by using microscopic and molecular techniques. Formalin-fixed tissues from 28 felids were examined, and _Sarcocystis felis_-like sarcocysts were detected in 4 wild cats (2 _Puma yagouaroundi_ and 2 _Leopardus guttulus_). By transmission electron microscopy, sarcocysts from a _P. yagouaroundi_ were identical to _S. felis_ from domestic cats in the USA. Direct sequencing of PCR amplicons resulted the unambiguous sequences of the ITS-1 region from 18 of the 31 PCR positive wild cats; 5 sequences from each _P. yagouaroundi_, and _Leopardus geoffroyi_, 4 sequences from _L. guttulus_, and 2 sequences from each _Leopardus wiedii_, and _Leopardus colocolo_. Sequences analysis of ITS-1 region revealed the highest identiy (97-99%) with that of previously describe isolates of _S. felis_ from domestic cats in the USA and identified them as _S. felis_. Tissues of 1 _Leopardus pardalis_ tested by PCR and histology were negative. The phylogenetic relationship indicated that _S. felis_ is quite different to species which employ opossums as their definitive host. This is the first report of _S. felis_ infection in small wild felids from Brazil.

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