Caracterização molecular de Sarcocystis spp. em amostras de carne moída, embutido colonial e filé mignon

Abstract

The sarcocystosis is considered a disease important in farm animals. Usually the protozoan infection in bovine and swine is asymptomatic, but some animals may show signs such as fever, anorexia, prostration, pale mucous, nasal and ocular discharge, dyspnea, salivation, may cause death. The life cycle is heteroxeno with an asexual stage in the intermediate host (prey) and sexual stage in the definitive hosts (predator). In carnivores, and humans (definitive hosts), the parasite develops an intestinal phase culminates with the production of oocysts. Species considered zoonotic are Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis suihominis, being, respectively, cattle (Bos taurus) and swine (Sus scrofa) intermediate hosts. Recently the Sarcocystis heydorni was identified, and the bovine intermediate host and the definitive human host. In Brazil there is a high prevalence of the sacorcistose in cattle. This high prevalence can be a risk factor contributing to human infection, as it is through raw meat intake or undercooked containing the sarcocistos. Diagnosis can be accomplished by the detection of cysts by fresh histological examination and artificial digestion, wich is the most sensitive the most sensitive technique. Additionally the molecular diagnosis has been widely used in detection and characterization of specific species. There is no treatment for this disease which makes prevention an essential step. prevention and control measures: baking at 65 ° C or frozen at -4 ° C and care in the manufacturing process (curing salts, curing) of meat products used in human food. This study aimed to detect the presence of Sarcocystis spp. and perform the molecular characterization of the species found in 375 samples of meat products, including ground beef, colonial sausage in filet mignon and it used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the gene 18S rDNA and molecular characterization using RFLP with restriction enzymes Bcl I, Alu I and Rsa I. the occurrence of Sarcocystis spp. was 17% (64/375) of all samples. Considering the type were positive 5.6% (7/125) filet mignon samples, 12.8% (16/125) of ground beef and 32.8% (41/125) of colonial sausage. Of the positive samples were characterized species S. hirsuta and S. hominis with prevalence of 93.75% (60/64) and 6.25% (4/64), respectively. Considering the relevance of sarcocystosis in public health, the occurrence of the species found in this study may be a risk factor contributing to human infection.