Sarcocystis is a zoonotic worldwide cyst-forming coccidian parasite. The study aimed to determine
the frequency of Sarcocystis infection in ruminants in South Sinai, identify Sarcocystis spp. and genotypes
that can infect these animals using molecular techniques.
A total of 353 blood samples were collected from ruminants to molecular screen for sarcocystosis
using two PCR assays targeting Sarc-cattle and Sarc-sheep genes amplified 600bp & 1100bp, respectively.
The results showed that goats and sheep didn't have Sarcocystis infection, whereas Sarcocystis
infection was in cattle with its risk pathogenesis. The demonstrated cattle sarcocystosis was in
44/113(38.94%), but neither among 172 sheep nor 68 goats. The recovered sequences were deposited
in the GenBank under the accession number MZ197780 as S. fusiformis and MZ197784, MZ197785,
MZ197786, and MZ197787 as S. cruzi.