Aggiornamenti sulle infezioni da protozoi negli ovini della Sardegna

The aim of the present study was to deepened knowledge on epidemiology and taxonomy of Cryptosporidiosis, Sarcocystosis and Giardiosis in Sardinian dairy sheep.Cryptosporidiosis was evaluated with microscopical and biomolecular methods in faecal samples from three different categories of sheep (lambs, pregnant sheep, post-partum sheep). Oocysts were found in 10.1% of examined animals, in 16.4% of lambs, in 7.2% of pregnant sheep and in 6.6% of post-partum sheep. Molecular characterization revealed the presence of two different species,Cryptosporidium parvumandC. ubiquitum.WithinC. parvumwere found the subtypes IIaA15G2R1 and IIdA20G1 while the subtype XIIa was isolated forC. ubiquitum.Giardiosis was evaluated in the same sheep population, andGiardiacyst were microscopically detected in 6.6% of monitored farms, only in lambs. Molecular characterization of samples allow to identify the Assemblage AI ofGiardia duodenalis.Sarcosporidiosis was investigated with a cross sectional study on macroscopic and microscopic sarcocysts in Sardinian sheep at abattoirs. MacroscopicSarcocystisspp. were found in 23.3% of examined muscles. Two different morphotypes were identified: large oval cysts, identified asSarcocystis giganteaby molecular characterization, and slender fusiform cysts, identified asS. medusiformis. Microscopic cysts were detected in 77.7% of examined heart samples, molecular analysis allow to identify the speciesS. tenella(95.5%) andS. arieticanis(17.8%).