Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 51, No. 4, 2006, 231-237 J.P. Dubey(1)* and Juan A. Morales(2) - Morphologic characterization of Sarcocystis sp. sarcocysts
from the Buffon's macaw (Ara ambigua)
(1)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Natural
Resources Institute, BARC-East, Building 1001, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA;
(2)Departamento de Patologia, Escuela Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Autonoma, 3000 Heredia, Costa Rica
*Corresponding author: jdubey@anri.barc.usda.gov
ABSTRACT
A species of Sarcocystis is reported from two naturally infected Buffon's macaws (Ara ambigua) from Costa Rica. Only mature sarcocysts, measuring up to 950 um in length and up to 75 um in width, were observed. By light microscopy the sarcocyst wall
was thin (< 1 um thick) and smooth. The villar protrusions on the sarcocyst wall were up to 4.0 um long and up to 0.6 um wide; they were folded over the sarcocyst wall giving a thin-walled appearance. The microtubules in villar protrusions were smooth and confined to villar protrusions. Bradyzoites in sections were 4.0-5.9 × 0.8-1.8 um in size. Structurally, sarcocysts from the macaw appeared different from sarcocysts of other avian species. This is the first report of Sarcocystis infection in this host.
KEY WORDS: Buffon's macaw, Ara ambigua, Sarcocystis, sarcocysts, coccidia, Costa Rica