Trichinella and at least three species of Sarcocystis parasitize the muscles of bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Mississippi

Authors: Dubey, Jitender; ARAUJO, LARISSA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); GUPTA, ADITYA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); Kwok, Oliver; Rosenthal, Benjamin

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/28/2024
Publication Date: 8/22/2024
Citation: Dubey, J.P., Araujo, L., Gupta, A., Kwok, O.C., Rosenthal, B.M. 2024. Trichinella and at least three species of Sarcocystis parasitize the muscles of bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Mississippi. Journal of Parasitology. 11(4):402-411. https://doi.org/10.1645/24-6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1645/24-6

Interpretive Summary: Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are hosts for several species of parasites that are of medical and veterinary importance. During an epidemiological survey, muscular tissues of 25 bobcats from rural Mississippi were tested for parasites. Muscular stages of the single celled parasite, Sarcocystis were detected in 84%; one of these species, Sarcocystis neurona causes fatal illness in horses. Trichinella sp. (a zoonotic worm) encysted larva was detected in tongue of 1 cat and a protozoan parasite, Hepatozoon spp. was found in the heart of 1 cat; both of these were recorded for the first time from Mississippi. Taken together, these observations suggest intensive exposure of these wild carnivores to tissue cysts, implies predation or scavenging on these tissues promotes parasite transmission, and raises caution about zoonotic risk when such meat is rendered for human consumption. The results will be of interest to wildlife biologists, veterinarian and parasitologists.

Technical Abstract: Muscles of 25 bobcats (Lynx rufus) from remote areas of Mississippi in 2017 were tested for parasites. Testing for Sarcocystis infections included microscopic examination of fresh unstained muscle squashes, pepsin digestion of hearts and tongues, and histological sections of paraffin-embedded tissues. Sarcocystis spp. infections were detected in the muscles of 21 (84%) by a combination of methods. Sarcocysts were detected in the unstained tongue squashes of 2 bobcats. Sarcocystis sp. bradyzoites were detected in the pepsin digests of 3 of 19 hearts, and 12 of 19 tongues. In paraffin-embedded histological sections, sarcocysts were detected in 7 of 25 hearts, 17 of 25 tongues, and 5 of 23 limb muscles. Based on the character of the cyst wall, at least 3 morphologic types of sarcocysts were detected: those with small spikes on the cyst wall, corresponding to Sarcocystis felis, those with long villar protrusions, corresponding to Sarcocystis neurona, and those lacking visible cyst wall protrusions, representing an unidentified type of sarcocyst. Myositis associated with sarcocysts was seen in the tongues of 3, and in the limb muscles of 1 bobcat. Multilocus genotyping of the DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded sections from 2 bobcats, employing 18S, 28S, COI, ITS-1, and 5.8S and rpoB genes, diagnosed Sarcocystis caninum, S. felis, Sarcocystis lutrae, and S. neurona. An encapsulated species of Trichinella was identified in the tongue of 1; it represents the first documented occurrences in bobcats from Mississippi. Taken together, these observations suggest intensive exposure of these wild carnivores to Trichinella tissue cysts, implies predation or scavenging on these tissues promotes parasite transmission, and raises caution concerning zoonotic risk when such meat is rendered for human consumption.