Study of ovine sarcosporidiosis in slaughterhouses of El Harrach in north of Algeria

Abstract

Samples of the oesophagi and diaphragms of 580 sheep were collected from the slaughterhouses of El Harrach to determine the prevalence of sarcosporidiosis in the ovine carcasses and identify the implied species of Sarcocystis. All samples were analyzed by the enzymatic digestion and 335 samples were examined by the histopathological analysis. Macroscopic cysts of Sarcocystis gigantea were identified in six oesophagi (1.03%). The enzymatic digestion and the histopathological analysis showed a high prevalence (99.14% and 94.03%, respectively). The thin-walled cysts of Sarcocystis arieticanis (92.54%) remained more predominant than the thick-walled cysts of Sarcocystis tenella (43.88%). The prevalence of the thin-walled microcysts was higher in the diaphragm (80.60%) than in the oesophagus (62.69%). In addition, the prevalence of the thick-walled microcysts in the diaphragm (33.73%) was higher than in the oesophagus (25.67%). These results indicate a heavy contamination of the environment with the dog oocysts.