First report of Sarcocystis bovifelis-like sporocysts in the intestine of the Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) in USA

Authors: GUPTA, ADITYA - Orise Fellow; HUMPAL, CAROLIN - Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources; CARSTENSEN, MICHELLE - Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources; Rosenthal, Benjamin; Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/2/2025
Publication Date: 12/6/2025
Citation: Gupta, A., Humpal, C., Carstensen, M., Rosenthal, B.M., Dubey, J.P. 2025. First report of Sarcocystis bovifelis-like sporocysts in the intestine of the Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) in USA. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports. 67. Article e101397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101397.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101397

Interpretive Summary: America’s livestock farmers contend with a variety of threats to the health of their animals and the marketability of the meat they produce. Parasites in the genus Sarcocystis infect cattle, reducing weight gain, feed efficiency, and inducing anorexia, fever, anemia, reduced milk yield, neurologic impairment, and death in livestock. Of more than 200 species of Sarcocystis, eight are known to infect cattle. Three of these Sarcocystis species compromise food safety causing human illness in consumers of undercooked beef. Therefore, understanding the sources of cattle infection might lead to better control, protecting veterinary and public health. Here, USDA scientists studied found discovered Sarcocystis bovifelelis in a wild lynx (Lynx canadensis) form Minnesota. Previously, this parasite was only known to be transmitted to cattle by domesticated cats. These results will interest wildlife biologists, parasitologists, veterinarians, and food safety professionals, and may help livestock farmers better understand and manage potential sources of infection.

Technical Abstract: Sarcocystis bovifelis is a cattle parasite for which the domestic cat (Felis catus) is the only confirmed definitive host, and the role of wild felids in its transmission remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the presence and identity of Sarcocystis species in the intestinal tissue of a dead Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) from Minnesota, USA, to assess whether this wild felid could serve as a definitive host. Approximately 30 cm of terminal ileum was examined microscopically for sporocysts, and DNA from sporocyst-positive material was assayed using 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA gene markers. Microscopy revealed the presence of Sarcocystis sporocysts, and BLAST analysis of both genetic loci showed 100 % identity with published S. bovifelis sequences. Because only two partial ribosomal markers were available, these results provide strong but not absolute evidence of a S. bovifelis-like parasite. These findings provide the first molecular indication of a S. bovifelis-like parasite in a Canada lynx and suggest, rather than confirm, that wild felids may participate in the natural transmission cycle of this species in the USA. Further studies involving additional wild hosts and broader geographic sampling are needed to confirm prevalence and clarify transmission pathways. This is also the first confirmation of S. bovifelis definitive host in the USA.