Neurologic disease in gamma-interferon gene knockout mice caused by Sarcocystis neurona sporocysts collected from opossums fed armadillo muscle

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology Vol. 103; no. 1; pp. 65 - 69
• Main Authors: Cheadle, M.A., Ginn, P.E., Lindsay, D.S., Greiner, E.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 03-01-2002
• Subjects: Agglutination Tests - veterinary; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Armadillo; Armadillos - parasitology; Brain - pathology; Gamma-interferon gene knockout mice; Immunohistochemistry - veterinary; Interferon-gamma - genetics; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Muscle, Skeletal - parasitology; Nervous System Diseases - mortality; Nervous System Diseases - parasitology; Nervous System Diseases - veterinary; Neurologic disease; Opossums - parasitology; Sarcocystis - growth & development; Sarcocystis - physiology; Sarcocystis neurona; Sarcocystosis - transmission; Sarcocystosis - veterinary; Neurologic disease; Sarcocystis neurona; Gamma-interferon gene knockout mice; Armadillo
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-4017(01)00550-7

Fifteen gamma-interferon gene knockout mice were each orally inoculated with 5×10
3
Sarcocystis sporocysts derived from Virginia opossums (
Didelphis virginiana) fed nine-banded armadillo (
Dasypus novemcinctus) muscle containing sarcocysts. Three mice were inoculated with similarly obtained homogenates, but in which no sporocysts were detected. Mouse M8 was pregnant when inoculated and gave birth during the trial. Fifteen of 15 (100%) mice inoculated with sporocysts developed neurologic signs and/or died by day 30
d.p.i. One of 3 (33.3%) mice inoculated with homogenates in which no sporocysts were detected developed clinical signs and died at 34
d.p.i. All young of mouse M8 had maternally acquired antibodies to
Sarcocystis
neurona, but none developed clinical neurologic signs or had protozoal parasites in their tissues. All brains from mice that developed clinical signs contained merozoites that reacted positively to
S. neurona antibodies using immunohistochemical techniques. Evidence from this study further supports the nine-banded armadillo being an intermediate host of
S. neurona.