Prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. in cardiac muscle of llamas (Lama glama) and alpacas (Vicugna pacos)

Abstract

The research was carried out in the municipality of Curahuara de Carangas corresponding to the First Section of the Sajama Province of the Department of Oruro-Bolivia, with the objective of determining the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp., 383 hearts, 229 llamas and 154 alpacas were selected slaughtered for commercial purposes, through the registration form according to species, category and pathological effect, during the months of March to September 2016. After in-situ evaluation, making histopathological cuts, the positive samples were sent to the Animal Health laboratory of the Faculty of Agradan and Natural Sciences, Technical University of Oruro. The results indícate a total of 131 positive alpacas (85.06%) and 23 negative (14.94%), 167 positive llamas (72.93%) and 62 negative (27.07%). On microscopic examination the histopathological alterations of the positive samples to Sarcocystis lamacanis, these being: eosinophilic infiltration, vascular congestión and degeneration of myocardial fibers. The results indícate that this parasitosis is a problem in the breeding of camelids and the data would be an indicator of contamination of grasslands or grazing áreas, which requires the implementation of sanitation control policies in the áreas dedicated to these processes.

Keywords

• microcysts
• sarcocystis lamacanis
• hearts
• llamas
• alpacas
• histopathological alterations.