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Background  Apicomplexan parasites of the genus  Sarcocystis  have an obligate two-host life-cycle and comprise about 200 species, which infect different cold- and warm-blooded hosts, including humans. Recently, morphological and molecular studies of sarcocysts in broadly spread carnivore hosts have been on the rise. The description of muscular tissues infection by  Sarcocystis  in the raccoon dog and the common raccoon from the Czech Republic is herein presented.    Methods  During January-August 2019, 15 raccoon dogs and 1 common raccoon were examined from 5 districts (Česká Lípa, Liberec, Mladá Boleslav, Trutnov and Ústí nad Labem) of the Czech Republic. Muscle parts (diaphragm, forearm, hind-limb, tongue and heart) were examined in wet preparations under compression by light microscopy. After finding  Sarcocystis  sp., morphological characteristics and molecular analyses of  18S  rRNA,  28S  rRNA, ITS1 and  cox 1 loci were used to identify the species.    Results  Sarcocysts were detected and identified in 1 out of 15 raccoon dogs and in the single common raccoon. Preferential infection sites were diaphragm and tongue, followed by forearm and hind limb. To our knowledge, this is the first identification of microscopic sarcocysts by multi-locus genetic analysis from both host species. Molecular analyses revealed 100% similarity at  18S  rRNA,  28S  rRNA, and  cox 1 genes with  S .  lutrae  for both hosts and 98–100% identity at the ITS1 region of the isolate from the common raccoon.    Conclusions  Both widely distributed non-indigenous wild carnivores represent new intermediate host records for  S .  lutrae  and the first report of this parasite in a member of the family Procyonidae, but still with an unknown natural definitive host. Molecular data revealed that this parasite species appears more closely related to the  Sarcocystis  spp. using raptorial birds as definitive hosts. Therefore, further studies aimed at its identification, including the complete life-cycle, remain necessary.

parasites and vectors

Molecular identification of Sarcocystis lutrae (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) from the raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides, and the common raccoon, Procyon lotor, in the Czech Republic