Sarcocystis host–parasite relations


Sarcocystis is a genus of parasitic Apicomplexan alveolates. Species in this genus infect reptiles, birds and mammals. The name is derived from Greek: sarkos = flesh and kystis = bladder.
There are about 130 recognised species in this genus. Revision of the taxonomy of this genus is ongoing and it is possible that all the currently recognised species may in fact be a single species or much smaller number of species that can infect multiple hosts.
The parasite's life cycle typically involves a predator and a prey animal. A single species may infect multiple prey or predator animals. In at least 56 species definitive and intermediate hosts are known. Many species are named after their recognised hosts
Further material on this genus can be found on the Sarcocystis page.

Mammalian species infected

Superorder [Euarchontoglires]

Order Lagomorpha
  • rabbit
  • cottontail rabbits
Order Primates
  • human
  • slow loris
  • baboon
  • tamarin
Genus Macaca
  • crab-eating macaque
  • rhesus monkey
Order Rodentia
Family Cricetidae
  • varying lemming
  • prairie voles
  • woodrat
  • muskrat
  • Djungarian hamsters
  • deer mice
  • cotton rat
Family Erinaceidae
  • moonrat
Family Muridae
Genus Bunomys
Genus Maxomys
Genus Rattus
  • Polynesian rat
  • bush rat
  • brown rats
  • yellow-tailed rat
Family Sciuridae
  • eastern chipmunk
Genus Spermophilus

Superorder [Laurasiatheria]

Order Artiodactyla
Suborder Ruminantia
Family Antilocapridae
  • pronghorn
Family Bovidae
  • water buffalo
  • Grant's gazelle
  • mountain goat
  • Mongolian gazelle
  • chamois
  • African buffalo
Genus Bison
  • bison
  • wisent
Genus Bos
  • yak
  • cattle
  • dwarf zebu
Genus Capra
  • goat
  • alpine ibex
Genus Ovis
  • European mouflons
  • sheep
Family Cervidae
  • moose
  • mule deer
  • reindeer
Genus Cervus
  • American elk
  • roe deer
  • hard ground swamp deer
  • red deer
  • elk
Genus Dama
  • fallow deer
  • Persian fallow deer
Family Giraffidae
  • giraffe
Suborder Suina
  • warthog
  • pig
Suborder Tylopoda
Genus Camelus
  • camel
Genus Lama
  • llama
  • guanaco
Genus Vicugna
  • vicuña
  • alpaca
Order Carnivora
Suborder Caniformia
Family Canidae
Genus Nyctereutes
  • raccoon dog
Genus Vulpes
  • red fox
Tribe Canini
Genus Canis
  • dog
  • coyote
  • wolf
Genus Lycaon
  • wild dog
Superfamily Pinnipedia
Family Phocidae
Family Otariidae
Family Mustelidae
  • sea otter
  • otter
  • European badger
  • skunk
  • American badger
Genus Mustela
  • common European weasel
  • mink
Family Procyonidae
  • raccoon
Family Ursidae
Genus Ursus
  • black bears
  • polar bears
Suborder Feloidea
Genus Felis
  • cougar
  • cougar
  • cat
  • bobcats
Genus Panthera
  • African lions
  • leopards
  • tigers
Order Cetacea
  • beluga whale
  • Atlantic white-sided dolphins
  • striped dolphin
Order Perissodactyla
Genus Equus
  • donkey
  • horse

Superorder [Xenarthra]

[Marsupials]

  • Bennett's wallaby
  • unadorned rock wallaby
  • Tasmanian pademelon
Genus Didelphis
  • white-eared opossum
  • Virginia opossum

Bird species infected

This genus infects at least 11 orders, 22 families, 38 genera and 46 species.
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae
  • redhead duck
  • Canada goose
  • common goldeneye
  • blue-winged teal
Genus Anas
Order Ciconiiformes
Family Ardeidae
Family Threskiornithidae
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae
  • Wilson's snipe
  • American woodcock
Order Coliiformes
Family Coliidae
  • red-faced mousebird
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae
  • morning doves
Order Falconiformes
Family Accipitridae
  • Cooper's hawk
  • goshawk
  • sparrowhawk
  • red-tailed hawk
  • bald eagle
Family Falconidae
  • falconids
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae
  • wild turkey
  • common pheasant
  • sharp-tailed grouse
Family Tetraonidae
  • capercaillies
Order Passeriformes
Family Fringillidae
  • canary
Family Icteridae
  • great-tailed grackle
  • cowbirds
  • common crackle
Family Paridae
  • great tit
Family Turdidae
  • European blackbird
Order Pelecaniformes
Family Sulidae
  • northern gannet
Order Phoenicopteriformes
Family Phoenicopteridae
  • lesser flamingo
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae
  • Patagonian conure
  • budgerigars
  • thick-billed parrot
Order Strigiformes
Family Strigidae
  • long-eared owl
  • snowy owls
Genus Strix
Family Tytonidae
Genus Tyto
  • European barn owl
  • masked owl

Reptile species infected

[Snake]s

Family Colubridae
Family Elapidae
  • tiger snake
Family Pythonidae
  • black-headed python
  • carpet python
  • Malaysian reticulated python
Family Viperidae

[Lizard]s

Family Chamaeleonidae
  • Fischer's chameleon
Family Gekkonidae
Family Lacertidae
  • Gran Canarian giant lizard
Family Scincidae
  • ocellated skink
Family Teiidae
  • common ameiva

Species infecting mammals

Sarcocystis americanaSarcocystis arieticanisSarcocystis asinusSarcocystis aucheniaeSarcocystis bertramiSarcocystis bigeminaSarcocystis booliatiSarcocystis bovifelisSarcocystis bovicanisSarcocystis bovihominisSarcocystis buffalonisSarcocystis cameliSarcocystis camelopardalisSarcocystis campestrisSarcocystis canisSarcocystis capracanisSarcocystis cernaeSarcocystis cervicanisSarcocystis cuniculiSarcocystis crotaliSarcocystis cruziSarcocystis cymruensisSarcocystis danzaniSarcocystis dasypiSarcocystis deboneiSarcocystis diminutaSarcocystis dirumpensSarcocystis dubeyellaSarcocystis dubeyiSarcocystis equicanisSarcocystis fayeriSarcocystis felisSarcocystis fusiformisSarcocystis garnhamiSarcocystis giganteaSarcocystis giraffaeSarcocystis gracilisSarcocystis greineriSarcocystis grueneriSarcocystis hardangeriSarcocystis hemioniSarcocystis hemionilatrantisSarcocystis hericanisSarcocystis hirsutaSarcocystis hjortiSarcocystis hofmanniSarcocystis hominisSarcocystis horvathiSarcocystis hircicanisSarcocystis ibericaSarcocystis idahoensisSarcocystis inghamiSarcocystis jorriniSarcocystis klaseriensisSarcocystis kirkpatrickiSarcocystis korteiSarcocystis lamacanisSarcocystis leporumSarcocystis levineiSarcocystis lindemanniSarcocystis lindsayiSarcocystis linearisSarcocystis medusiformisSarcocystis meischerianaSarcocystis mephitisiSarcocystis mihoensisSarcocystis mongolicaSarcocystis moraeSarcocystis mouleiSarcocystis mucosaSarcocystis murinotechisSarcocystis murisSarcocystis neotomafelisSarcocystis muriviperaeSarcocystis neuromaSarcocystis nesbittiSarcocystis odoiSarcocystis orientalisSarcocystis ovicanisSarcocystis ovifelisSarcocystis oviformisSarcocystis ovalisSarcocystis phacochoeriSarcocystis porcifelisSarcocystis rangiSarcocystis rangiferiSarcocystis rauschorumSarcocystis sebekiSarcocystis sibiricaSarcocystis sigmodontisSarcocystis suicanisSarcocystis suihominisSarcocystis sulawesiensisSarcocystis sybillensisSarcocystis tarandiSarcocystis tilopodiSarcocystis tenellaSarcocystis ursusiSarcocystis venatoria
  • ''Sarcocystis wapiti''

Species infecting birds

Sarcocystis accipitrisSarcocystis cornixiSarcocystis deboneiSarcocystis dispersaSarcocystis falcatulaSarcocystis horvathiSarcocystis kirmseiSarcocystis phoeniconaiiSarcocystis rauschorumSarcocystis rileyi
  • ''Sarcocystis turdi''

Species infecting reptiles

Sarcocystis ameivamastigodryasiSarcocystis atheridisSarcocystis chamaleonisSarcocystis gerbilliechisSarcocystis gongyliSarcocystis idahoensisSarcocystis mitraniSarcocystis murinotechisSarcocystis muriviperaeSarcocystis podarcicolubrisSarcocystis roudabushiSarcocystis stehliniiSarcocystis stenodactylicolubrisSarcocystis turciciiSarcocystis villivilliso
  • ''Sarcocystis zaman''

Species infected but parasite not yet identified

A number of species have been identified as being infected with Sarcocytis but the parasite itself has not been identified to species level. These host species include:
  • Mammals
pronghorn, yak, northern fur seal, camel, alpine ibex, hard ground swamp deer, red deer, Hoffmann's two-toed sloth, beluga whale, sea otter, bearded seal, donkey, cougars, bobcat, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, guanaco, alpaca, otter, wild dog, Bartels's spiny rat, Musschenbroek's spiny rat, prairie vole, common European weasel, mink, muskrat, mountain goats, Grant's gazelle, slow loris, African lions, leopard, tiger, baboon, Pacific harbor seal
chamois, Polynesian rat, bush rat, yellow-tailed rat, tamarin, cottontail rabbit, African buffalo, eastern chipmunk, polar bear, sea lion and hainag
  • Birds
goshawk, great blue heron, green backed heron, great egret, little blue heron, American white ibis, bald eagle, wild turkey, northern gannet, yellow-crowned night heron, common pheasant, thick-billed parrot, northern spotted owl, capercaillies, masked owl and mourning doves
  • Reptiles
southern copperhead, rhinoceros horned viper, carpet python and desert viper

Hosts infected where parasite species is known

S. accipitris - canary - sparrowhawk S. ameivamastigodryasi - teiid lizard - Rio tropical racer S. americana - mule deer S. arieticanis - European mouflons, sheep S. asinus - horse - dog S. atheridis - Nitsche's bush viper S. aucheniae - llama, alpaca, vicuña S. bertrami - horse - dog S. bigemina - dog S. booliati - moonrat S. bovifelis - cattle - cat S. bovicanis - cattle - dog S. bovihominis - cattle - human S. buffalonis - water buffalo S. cameli - dog S. camelopardalis - giraffe S. campestris - Richardson's ground squirrel, 13-lined ground squirrels - American badger S. canis - Hawaiian monk seal, striped dolphin, red fox S. capracanis - goat, sheep - dog, red fox S. cernae - mouse - falconids S. cervicanis - roe deer, red deer S. chamaleonis - Fischer's chameleon S. cornixi - hooded crow S. cuniculi - rabbit - cat S. crotali - house mouse - Mojave rattlesnake S. cruzi - bison, wisent, cattle dwarf zebu - dog, coyote, wolf, raccoon dog, raccoon, fox S. cymruensis - bandicoot rats, brown rats - cat S. danzani - Mongolian gazelle S. dasypi - nine-banded armadillo S. debonei - cowbirds, great-tailed grackle, common crackle - opossum S. diminuta - nine-banded armadillo S. dirumpens - African soft-furred rat, house mouse, brown rat, Mongolian gerbil, Djungarian hamsters S. dispersa - long-eared owl, European barn owl S. dubeyella - warthog S. dubeyi - water buffalo S. equicanis - horse - dog S. falcatula - Patagonian conure, budgerigars S. fayeri - horse - dog S. felis - cat S. fusiformis - water buffalo - cat S. garnhami - opossum S. gerbilliechis - Arabian saw-scaled viper S. gigantea - sheep - cat S. giraffae - giraffe S. gongyli - skink S. gracilis - roe deer - dog S. greineri - Virginia opossum S. grueneri - fallow deer, Persian fallow deer, reindeer S. hardangeri - reindeer S. hemioni - mule deer S. hemionilatrantis - mule deer - dog, coyote S. hericanis - goat - dog S. hirsuta - wisent, cattle - cat S. hjorti - red deer S. hofmanni - roe deer, fallow deer - European badger S. hominis - wisent, cattle - human S. horvathi - chicken - dog S. hircicanis - goat - dog S. iberica - red deer S. idahoensis - deer mice - gopher snake, bullsnake S. inghami - opossum S. jorrini - fallow deer S. klaseriensis - giraffe S. kirmsei - hill mynah S. kirkpatricki - raccoon S. kortei - rhesus monkey S. leporum - cottontail rabbit - cat S. levinei - water buffalo - dog S. lindemanni - human S. lindsayi - opossum S. linearis - red deer S. medusiformis - sheep, pig - dog, cat S. meischeriana - pig - dog, raccoon dog S. mephitisi - skunk S. mihoensis - sheep - dog S. mitrani - skink S. mongolica - Mongolian gazelle S. morae - red deer S. moulei - goat - cat S. mucosa - Bennetts wallabies, unadorned rock wallabies, Tasmanian pademelons S. murinotechis - rat - tiger snakes S. muris - mouse - cat S. neotomafelis - woodrat S. muriviperae - mouse - Palestinian viper S. neuroma - horse, nine-banded armadillo, opossums, sea otter, cats, skunks, cowbirds, raccoons S. nesbitti - crab-eating macaque, rhesus monkey S. odoi - white-tailed deer S. orientalis - goat, rat - Malaysian reticulated python S. ovicanis - sheep - dog S. ovifelis - sheep - cat S. oviformis - Norwegian roe deer S. ovalis - moose S. phacochoeri - warthog S. phoeniconaii - lesser flamingo S. porcifelis - pig - cat S. rangi - reindeer S. rangiferi - reindeer S. rauschorum - varying lemming - snowy owls S. rileyi - northern pintail, northern shoveler, blue-winged teal, mallard, American black duck, gadwall - dog S. roudabushi - bullsnake S. sebeki - European badger S. sibirica - roe deer S. singaporensis - black-headed python, reticulated python S. sigmodontis - cotton rat S. stehlinii - Gran Canarian giant lizard S. stenodactylicolubris - fan-footed gecko, Jordan short-fingered gecko - Dahl's whip snake S. suicanis - pig - dog S. suihominis - pig - human S. sulawesiensis - yellow-haired hill rat, fraternal hill rat, Sulawesi giant rat S. sybillensis - elk S. tarandi - reindeer S. tenella - sheep - dog, cat, red fox S. tilopodi - guanaco S. turcicii - gecko S. turdi - European blackbird S. ursusi - black bears S. venatoria - red deer S. villivilliso - black-headed python, Malaysian reticulated python S. wapiti - American elk S. zamani - Malaysian reticulated python

Species infecting animals important to man

Species infecting cats

Sarcocystis bovifelis

Sarcocystis cymruensis

Sarcocystis felis

Sarcocystis fusiformis

Sarcocystis gigantea

Sarcocystis hirsuta

Sarcocystis leporum

Sarcocystis medusiformis

Sarcocystis moulei

Sarcocystis muris

Sarcocystis ovifelis

''Sarcocystis tenella''

Species infecting dogs

Sarcocystis asinus

Sarcocystis bertrami

Sarcocystis bigemina

Sarcocystis bovicanis

Sarcocystis cameli

Sarcocystis capracanis

Sarcocystis cruzi

Sarcocystis equicanis

Sarcocystis fayeri

Sarcocystis gracilis

Sarcocystis hemionilatrantis

Sarcocystis hericanis

Sarcocystis horvathi

Sarcocystis levinei

Sarcocystis medusiformis

Sarcocystis meischeriana

Sarcocystis mihoensis

Sarcocystis ovicanis

Sarcocystis rileyi

Sarcocystis suicanis

''Sarcocystis tenella''

Species infecting sheep

Sarcocystis arieticanis

Sarcocystis tenella

Sarcocystis gigantea

''Sarcocystis medusiformis''

Species infecting horses

Sarcocystis asinus

Sarcocystis bertrami

Sarcocystis equicanis

Sarcocystis fayeri

''Sarcocystis neurona''

Species infecting pigs

Sarcocystis medusiformis

Sarcocystis meischeriana

Sarcocystis porcifelis

''Sarcocystis suihominis''

Species infecting cattle

Sarcocystis bovifelis

Sarcocystis bovihominis

Sarcocystis cruzi

''Sarcocystis hirsuta''

Species infecting water buffalo

Sarcocystis buffalonis

Sarcocystis dubeyi

Sarcocystis fusiformis

''Sarcocystis levinei''

Species infecting goats

Sarcocystis capracanis

Sarcocystis hericanis

Sarcocystis moulei

''Sarcocystis orientalis''

Species infecting chickens

''Sarcocystis horvathi''

Species infecting reindeer

Sarcocystis hardangeri

Sarcocystis rangi

''Sarcocystis rangiferi''

Species infecting llamoids

Sarcocystis aucheniae

''Sarcocystis tilopodi''