Sarcocystis Infection in Wild Ungulates in Lithuania

Prevalence and intensity of Sarcocystis infection in red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), moose (Alces alces), farmed sika deer (Cervus nippon), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) were established. Data on sika deer sarcocystosis are published in Baltic countries for the first time. Samples of stained muscle sections of 243 individuals underwent miscroscopic examination. The prevalence of Sarcocystis infection varied between 83.0% (moose) and 92.7% (sika deer), these differences having no statistical significance. The median (Md) intensity of infection in diaphragm samples was the lowest among red deer and moose (Md = 5) while among roe deer it proved to be the highest (Md = 22.5). The number of intense infection cases in diaphragm muscles was the highest (26.8%) in roe deer whereas in moose and red deer intense infection was not recorded at all. The median number of sarcocysts in oesophagus and heart muscles of investigated game species was higher than in those of diaphragm.