Vol. 11, Special Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
Sarjna Meena, Rohitash Dadhich, Sanjita Sharma, Dharm Singh Meena, Sandeep Ku. Sharma, Anita Rathore, Sandeep Marodia and Rashmi Singh

Abstract:
Sarcocystosis is a silent zoonotic parasitic disease caused by an obligatory intracellular coccidian protozoan of the genus Sarcocystis with a worldwide geographic distribution. The present investigation was carried out to record the prevalence, cytopathological and histopathological findings of Sarcocystosis in oesophagus of goat in Jaipur, Rajasthan. In this study, a total of 1115 of digestive tract samples were collected from goats, irrespective of age groups, breeds and sex. Out of the total 1115 samples, 152 representative samples of oesophagus were processed for subsequent cytopathological and histopathological examinations. The results of the present study revealed an overall prevalence of sarcocystosis as 13.63 per cent. After investigated esophagi, the goat had been infected with both types, macroscopic and microscopic cysts for the infection. During gross examination, only in four cases (0.35%) macroscopic sarcocysts noticed, in the form of many white to pale, oval fat (macro), grain sized, multifocal nodules on outer surface and in the majority of cases microsarcocysts were evident in oesophgeal muscles. In cytopathology, giemsa stained impression smears, collected from the oesophagi were found positive for microscopic sarcocysts and banana-shaped bradyzoites in clusters as well as individually. Histopathologically, the study depicted the presence of several forms of microscopic cyst, including spindle, circular, elliptical, cylindrical and twisted form in esophagus. Microscopically, these appeared as blue colour sarcocysts contained bradyzoites in tunica muscularis including both thin-walled and thick-walled. Individual microcyst was surrounded by single layer of muscle fibers and degeneration and necrosis of muscle bundles were prominent. Hence, this study is one of the very few studies which have investigated the cytodiagnosis of zoonotic disease in veterinary sciences. It contributes in the existing literature on cytohistopathological diagnosis of the Sarcocystosis not only in goats but also in other meat producing animals. In present investigation, the prevalence was primarily related to the presence of microsarcocysts in muscles. Thus, microscopic examination of slide impression smears collected from the meat is essential to diagnose the Sarcocystosis for screening of the disease. It is recommended that meat should be cooked sufficiently or frozen before use to prevent health hazards to the consumer.