Lignon Julia Somavilla, Pinto Diego Moscarelli, Monteiro Silvia Gonzalez, Martins Kauê Rodriguez, Cunha Rodrigo Casquero, Lima Diago Dutra, Albuquerque Luíse Nunes Bonneau de, Silveira Camila Gonçalves da, Silva Stanrley Victor Nascimento da, Dada Oluwagbemiga Ademola, Ayoola Matthew Ajani, Pappen Felipe Geraldo, Bruhn Fábio Raphael Pascoti
Laboratório de Epidemiologia Veterinária, Departamento de Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Pelotas - UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
Laboratório do Grupo de Estudos em Enfermidades Parasitárias, Departamento de Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Pelotas - UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
Rev Bras Parasitol Vet. 2025 Jun 2;34(2):e021024. doi: 10.1590/S1984-29612025038. eCollection 2025.
The crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) is a wild carnivore with a broad geographic distribution, randing from Costa Rica to South America. This species remains understudied, particularly regarding Sarcocystis spp. infections. This study aimed to report the first molecular detection of Sarcocystis arctica in P. cancrivorus. The roadkill specimen, recovered from the highway of Pedro Osório, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, was subjected to necropsy. Tissues samples, bone marrow and blood were collected, and their genomic DNA was extracted. PCR amplification targeting 18S rRNA, COX1 and 28S genes, genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of S. arctica DNA in cardiac muscle samples. Molecular characterization showed 98.62-99.6% identity to sequences of this species deposited in GenBank. We report the first documentation of S. arctica infection in a P. cancrivorus heart sample. While species within the genus Procyon serve as definitive and intermediate hosts for other Sarcocystis species, it is uncertain whether P. cancrivorus acts as an aberrant host or plays a regular role in the protozoan life cycle, particularly in muscle tissue. Additionally, its impact on P. cancrivorus populations is still unknown, highlighting the need for further studies.
食蟹浣熊（Procyon cancrivorus）是一种野生食肉动物，地理分布广泛，从哥斯达黎加至南美洲。该物种仍未得到充分研究，尤其是关于肉孢子虫属（Sarcocystis spp.）感染方面。本研究旨在报告在食蟹浣熊中首次对北极肉孢子虫（Sarcocystis arctica）进行分子检测的情况。从巴西南里奥格兰德州佩德罗·奥索里奥高速公路上收集的一只被车撞死的标本进行了尸检。采集了组织样本、骨髓和血液，并提取了它们的基因组DNA。针对18S rRNA、COX1和28S基因的PCR扩增、基因测序和系统发育分析证实了心肌样本中存在北极肉孢子虫DNA。分子特征显示与GenBank中该物种序列的同一性为98.62 - 99.6%。我们报告了在食蟹浣熊心脏样本中首次记录到北极肉孢子虫感染。虽然浣熊属（Procyon）内的物种可作为其他肉孢子虫物种的终末宿主和中间宿主，但尚不确定食蟹浣熊是作为异常宿主还是在原生动物生命周期中发挥常规作用，特别是在肌肉组织方面。此外，其对食蟹浣熊种群的影响仍然未知，这突出了进一步研究的必要性。
