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Simple Summary  Members of the genus  Sarcocystis  are protozoan parasites that infect mammals, birds, and reptiles.  Sarcocystis  spp. have an obligatory two-host prey-predator life cycle. Sarcocysts form in the muscles and central nervous system of the intermediate host, while oocysts and sporocysts develop in the small intestine of the definitive host. There is a lack of studies on omnivorous birds of family Corvidae as potential definitive hosts of  Sarcocystis  spp. Until now, only  S .  ovalis  has been confirmed to be transmitted via corvids. In the current study, 91 small intestine samples from six corvid species from Lithuania were examined for the presence of  Sarcocystis  spp. that use birds, carnivorous mammals, and cervids as intermediate hosts. Oocysts of  Sarcocystis  spp. were observed in 43 samples (47.3%) using a light microscope. Based on molecular methods, 11  Sarcocystis  spp., ( S .  columbae ,  S .  cornixi ,  S .  halieti ,  S .  kutkienae ,  S .  lari ,  S .  turdusi ,  S .  wobeseri ,  S .  arctica ,  S .  lutrae ,  S .  ovalis , and  S .  oviformis ) were identified. These results indicate that corvids may transmit some species of  Sarcocystis  that use birds and mammals as intermediate hosts.    Abstract  Members of the family Corvidae are ecologically flexible omnivorous birds, particularly adaptive to urban habitats, and living in proximity to humans; these birds may serve as definitive hosts (DH) for  Sarcocystis  spp., but research about this is lacking. In the present study, intestinal samples from 91 corvids collected in Lithuania were molecularly tested by species-specific PCR targeting the ITS1 and  cox1  genes and subsequently sequenced for the presence of  Sarcocystis  spp. Under a light microscope, oocysts of  Sarcocystis  spp. were observed in 43 samples (47.3%), while molecular methods, detected  Sarcocystis  spp. in 77 birds (84.6%). Eleven  Sarcocystis  spp. ( S .  columbae ,  S .  cornixi , potentially pathogenic  S .  halieti ,  S .  kutkienae ,  S .  lari ,  S .  turdusi ,  S .  wobeseri ,  S .  arctica ,  S .  lutrae ,  S .  ovalis , and  S .  oviformis ) were identified in the intestinal samples from six corvid species from Lithuania. Infections with multiple  Sarcocystis  spp. were detected in 79.2% of the infected corvid birds. Three of the identified  Sarcocystis  spp. use corvids as intermediate hosts (IH); therefore, corvids may serve as IH and DH of the same  Sarcocystis  species. Based on molecular results and on corvid diet, omnivorous corvids may play an important role in transmitting  Sarcocystis  spp.

The Role of Birds of the Family Corvidae in Transmitting Sarcocystis Protozoan Parasites