ISOLATION AND MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF SARCOCYSTIS MOULEI FROM SHEEP AND GOATS (LOCAL BREED) IN BASRAH PROVINCE - IRAQ

Sarcocystosis is caused by many forms of Sarcocystis. It’s a protozoal infection with worldwide distribution in many species of animals. The current study was aimed at screening infection prevalence and molecular identification of the macroscopic and microscopic Sarcocystis spp. infecting Iraqi sheep and goats. Sarcocystis was examined through meat inspection in a slaughterhouse, followed by molecular identification using PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of the 18srRNA gene. Macroscopic cysts of Sarcocystis were observed in the esophagus of both sheep and goats by the naked eye. The overall prevalence of infection with Sarcocystis spp. was 9.1 % (76 / 830) in sheep and 8 % (12/150) in goats. The overall prevalence of the macroscopic cysts of the Sarcocystis spp. was 8.97% (88/980). The prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. was higher in females 12% (41/340) than in males 7.1% (35/490) in sheep, as well as, the infection of goats was higher in females 10% (7/70) than in males 6.25% (5/80). The comparison of the obtained sequences of the local tested samples of S.moulei with those previously reported for different Sarcocystis spp., which were recorded in Genbank, revealed that all the tested specimens were represented for S.moulei. Moreover, sequence alignments of the partial 18srRNA gene ascertained the presence of genetic differences, revealing the heterogenic nature of the gene among different strains of the same Sarcocystis spp. in relation to the geographic distribution. This is the first study for the evaluation of the PCR technique for genetic identification of the macroscopic S.moulei infected in Basrah in southern Iraq and the first reported for the infection of sheep and goats with S.moulei. It is also the first recorded in Iraq of six strains of S.moulei in sheep and goats.