Prevalence of encysted apicomplexans in muscles of raptors.

Abstract

An acid-pepsin digestion technique was used to examine portions of breast muscle and heart from raptors for encysted protozoans. Apicomplexan zoites were present in 52 (45.6%) of the 114 samples examined: 11 of 12 (91.7%) red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus), 20 of 34 (58.8%) red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), two of seven (28.6%) Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperi), three of four (75%) sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus), one (100%) Mississippi kites (Ictinia misisippiensis), one of two (50%) American kestrels (Falco sparverius), one bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), one of two (50%) golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), one of three (33%) turkey vultures (Cathartes aura), two of three (66.7%) black vultures (Coragyps atratus), three of six (50%) great-horned owls (Bubo virginianus), five of 15 (33.3%) barred owls (Strix varia), and one of 12 (8.3%) screech owls (Asio otus). Encysted protozoans were not observed in digests of tissues from three broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus), four ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), and five barn owls (Tyto alba). Apicomplexan cysts resembling Sarcocystis species were observed in tissue sections of muscles from 28 (37.8%) of 74 raptors.

• Authors: D S Lindsay, B L Blagburn
• Journal: Veterinary parasitology (Vet Parasitol) Vol. 80 Issue 4 Pg. 341-4 (Jan 28 1999) ISSN: 0304-4017 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 9950339 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Pepsin A

Topics

• Animals
• Apicomplexa (classification, isolation & purification)
• Bird Diseases (epidemiology)
• Heart (parasitology)
• Pectoralis Muscles (parasitology)
• Pepsin A (metabolism)
• Prevalence
• Protozoan Infections, Animal (epidemiology)
• Raptors (parasitology)
• Sarcocystis (isolation & purification)
• Southeastern United States (epidemiology)