ISSN 2756-3391
African Journal of Parasitology Research ISSN 2756-3391 Vol. 13 (12), pp. 001-008, December, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Histological and molecular identification of Sarcocystis sp. species from pig carcasses slaughtered at abattoirs in Dakar, Senegal
GBATI Oubri Bassa1, *N’DA Kacou Martial1, KOFFI Marcel2, DAHOUROU Laibané Dieudonné3, MUSABYEMARIYA Bellancille1, NSOUARI Stève Hermane Sadry1, EKOU Chérita Dora1, BAKOU Serge Niangoran 4, BONFOH Bassirou2, SALIFOU Sahidou5, PANGUI Louis-Joseph1
1Department of Public Health and Environment, Ecole Inter-Etats des Sciences et Médecines Vétérinaires (EISMV), Dakar, Sénégal.
2Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
3Institut des Sciences de l’Environnement et du Développement Rural, Université de Dédougou, BP 176, Dédougou, Burkina Faso.
4Université Nangui Abrogoua, Laboratoire de Biologie et Cytologie Animales, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
5Ecole Polytechnique d’Abomey-Calavi (EPAC), Cotonou, Bénin.
Abstract
Received 06 October, 2025; Revised 05 November, 2025; Accepted 06 November, 2025; Published 30 December, 2025
Sarcosporidiosis is a cosmopolitan protozoan disease caused by Sarcocystis, which is present in the form of cysts in the muscle tissue of several animal species, including pigs. Often asymptomatic, this disease can only be detected at the slaughterhouse, as its diagnosis relies on histological, enzymatic and molecular techniques. This study aimed to identify the Sarcocystis species present in the carcasses of pigs slaughtered at slaughterhouses in Dakar, Senegal. Samples were taken from different muscles (oesophagus, masseter, diaphragm, myocardium, gluteal) of 300 pig carcasses. These samples were subjected to histological sectioning techniques stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE) on the one hand, and molecular biology analyses on the other, in order to precisely identify the species concerned. According to the results obtained by histology, the prevalence of Sarcocystis infection in pigs was 91.7%. The most infested muscle was the oesophagus. Molecular biology enabled us to identify Sarcocystis miescheriana in pigs for the first time in Senegal. In this context, strengthening measures against parasitic diseases in pigs in Senegal and improving health control in abattoirs is essential for public health. New, easy-to-use techniques for researching and identifying the parasite must therefore be developed in order to significantly reduce the risk of disease transmission to human populations.
Keywords: Slaughterhouses - identification - molecular - pigs – sarcosporidiosis.