Abstract
Simple Summary In the present work, we explored the existence ofSarcocystisspp. in samples of camels obtained from abattoirs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We examined tissues of the tongue, heart, esophagus, diaphragm, and skeletal muscle by macroscopic assessments, optical microscopy of tissues, optical microscopy of digested sediment, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by gene sequencing. The results identifiedSarcocystis cameli(S. cameli) andS. camelicanis.Sarcocystisspp. were detected in Saudi Arabian camels by molecular analysis.S. levineiandS. miescherianawere most closely related. Sarcocystis (S.)spp. are intracellular protozoan parasites that infect birds and animals, resulting in substantial commercial losses.Sarcocystisspp. have an indirect life cycle; canines and felines are known to act as final hosts, and numerous domestic and wild animals act as intermediate hosts. The presence of sarcocysts in camel meat may diminish its commercial quality. There is limited knowledge regarding the taxonomy and diagnosis ofSarcocystisspp. that infect camels in Saudi Arabia. In this study, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealedS. cameliandS. camelicanis(camelicanis) inCamelus (C.) dromedarius. This is the first report ofS. camelicanisin Saudi Arabia and is considered a significant finding. Based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COX1) sequences, two samples ofSarcocystisspp. isolated fromC. dromedariusin Riyadh and Dammam were grouped withS. levineihosted byBubalus bubalisin India,S. rangihosted byRangifer tarandusin Norway,S. miescherianahosted bySus scrofain Italy andS. fayerihosted byEquus caballusin Canada. The sequences obtained in this study have been deposited in GenBank.