Epidemiological profile and distribution pattern of Sarcocystis spp. infection in goats slaughtered for human consumption in Aswan, Egypt

Background: Sarcocystis spp. are one of the most common food-borne tissue cyst-forming coccidia with public health and veterinary concern.Objective: The presented study aimed to assess the epidemiological profile of Sarcocystis spp. infection in goats slaughtered for human consumption in Aswan, Egypt.Material and Methods: A total of 180 goats were included in the study. Specimens from the cardiac and skeletal muscles collected from slaughtered goats, were subjected to histological examination of sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E).Results: The results showed that 35% of goats contained tissue cysts histologically compatible with Sarcocystis spp. Microscopic sarcocysts were more prevalent in female goats (43.3%) than in males (30.8%). The detection rate of Sarcocystis spp. was 47.3% and 21.8% in adult and young, respectively. The results demonstrated 26.7% and 8.3% affection in skeletal and cardiac muscles, respectively.Conclusion: The obtained results confirmed the high detection rate and tissue distribution pattern of sarcocystosis in the examined goats. Therefore, efficient cooking of goat meat is highly recommended before serving for human consumption.