, sp. and like parasites in seals from northern and eastern Canada: potential risk to consumers.

Zoonotic parasites of seals that are harvested for food may pose a health risk when seal meat or organ tissues of infected animals are eaten raw or undercooked. In this study, 124 tissue samples from 81 seals, comprising four species, were collected from northern and eastern Canada. Tissues from 23 ringed seals (), 8 hooded seals (), 21 harp seals (), and 29 grey seals () were tested for parasites of the Sarcocystidae family including , spp., and spp. using nested PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. DNA was present in 26% of ringed seals, 63% of hooded seals, 57% of harp seals, and 31% of grey seals. sp. DNA was found in 9% of ringed seals, 13% of hooded seals, 14% of harp seals, and 4% of grey seals, while like DNA was present in 26% of ringed seals. While it is unclear how pinnipeds may become infected with these protozoans, horizontal transmission is most likely. However, one harp seal pup (4 days old) was PCR-positive for , suggesting vertical transmission may also occur. Phylogenetic analysis of the 18S gene region indicates that sp. in these seals belongs to a unique genotype. Furthermore, this study represents a new host report for in harp seals, a new host and geographic report for like parasites in ringed seals, and four new hosts and geographic reports for sp. These results demonstrate that parasites of the Sarcocystidae family are prevalent in northern and eastern Canadian seals. While the zoonotic potential of sp. and the -like parasite are unclear, consumption of raw or undercooked seal meat or organ tissues pose a risk of infection to consumers.