Abstract

Sarcocystis bunopusi n. sp. from the muscle fibres of the rock gecko ( Bunopus tuberculatus ) in Saudi Arabia is described. Sarcocysts were found in skeletal muscles of the tail and fore and hind limbs in 3 of 30 geckos. Sarcocysts were microscopic, 42-45 µm long and 22-25 µm wide. Using light microscopy, the cyst wall was thin and smooth. Ultrastructurally, the primary cyst wall consisted of a thin parasitophorous vacuolar membrane with osmiophilic 100 nm × 50 nm knob-like papillae, and no perpendicular protrusions. Septae were indistinct. Bradyzoites were 5-7 × 1.5-2.0 µm in size. This is the first description of a Sarcocystis species from this gecko.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Abdel-Baki AS, Abdel-Haleem HM, Al-Quraishy S

Institution

Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. azema1@yahoo.com

Source

The Journal of parasitology 98:5 2012 Oct pg 951-3

MeSH

Animals
Lizards
Microscopy, Electron
Muscle, Skeletal
Sarcocystis
Sarcocystosis
Saudi Arabia
Tail

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22519743