AUTHOR=Kirejczyk Shannon G. M. , Burns Rachel E. , Hyatt Michael W. , Yabsley Michael J. , Ter Beest Julia M. , Gyimesi Zoltan S. , Ossiboff Robert J. , Waltman Amelia , Seimon Tracie A. , McManamon Rita 

TITLE=Fatal Sarcocystis falcatula Infection in Three Penguins

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2019.00340

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2019.00340

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Sarcocystis falcatula</italic> is a well-known cause of fatal pneumonia in some birds, particularly Old World psittacines. Here we describe fatal sarcosystosis due to <italic>S. falcatula</italic> in 3 penguins (Family Spheniscidae) under managed care, including one African penguin (<italic>Spheniscus demersus</italic>), and two Southern rockhopper penguins (<italic>Eudyptes chrysocome</italic>). Randomly distributed foci of necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltrates, edema, and variable numbers of round to elongated protozoal schizonts were observed in sections of lung. Protozoal organisms exhibited strong immunoreactivity for <italic>Sarcocystis</italic> sp. antigen by immunohistochemistry. Apicomplexan and <italic>Sarcocystis</italic> genus-specific PCR assays and sequence analysis confirmed <italic>S. falcatula</italic> as the etiologic agent. These cases of fatal pneumonia attributed to <italic>S. falcatula</italic> expand the list of aberrant intermediate avian hosts, with particular implications for penguins.</p>