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Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2009 Publication Date: 8/3/2009 Citation: Rosenthal, B.M. 2009. Sarcocystis. In: Liu.,D., editor. Molecular Detection of Sarcocystis. Boca Raton, Florida; CRC Press. p. 731-739. Interpretive Summary: When people eat undercooked beef or pork containing viable Sarcocystis hominis or Sarcocystis suihominis, they can contract acute gastro-intestinal infections that culminate, about two weeks later, with the excretion of parasites infectious for cattle or swine, respectively. Molecular methods can play a valuable diagnostic role, because neither the sarcocysts (in tissues) nor the oocysts (in feces) are easily distinguished from a large number of other, related parasite species. Other parasites which pose no known risk to human health also form sarcocysts in cattle and swine; and human feces may contain the morphologically similar oocysts of other parasite species. Genetic characterization provides a valuable means to diagnose such infections and can helps identify a given infection's source. The methods to do so are reviewed here. Technical Abstract: When people eat undercooked beef or pork containing viable Sarcocystis hominis or Sarcocystis suihominis, they can contract acute gastro-intestinal infections that culminate, about two weeks later, with the excretion of parasites infectious for cattle or swine, respectively. Molecular methods can play a valuable diagnostic role, because neither the sarcocysts (in tissues) nor the oocysts (in feces) are easily distinguished from a large number of other, related parasite species. Other parasites which pose no known risk to human health also form sarcocysts in cattle and swine; and human feces may contain the morphologically similar oocysts of other parasite species. Genetic characterization provides a valuable means to diagnose such infections and can helps identify a given infection's source. The methods to do so are reviewed here. |
