Prevalence of Sarcocystis cysts in pigs and sheep in Spain.

Samples of serum and diaphragm muscle were collected from 100 pigs, and serum samples and oesophagi were collected from 100 sheep. The diaphragm muscle and oesophageal tissues were examined for the presence of macroscopic and microscopic Sarcocystis cysts by compression between trichinoscope plates as well as by tissue digestion with pepsin solution. The sera were examined by the indirect haemagglutination test (IHA), using antigens from Sarcocystis gigantea. With these methods, 95% of the sheep and 43% of the pigs were found to be infected with Sarcocystis sp.