SARCOCYSTIS INFECTIONS IN TONGUES OF COUGARS (PUMA CONCOLOR COUGUAR) IN COLORADO.

Sarcocystis species are intracellular protozoan parasites that infect a wide range of intermediate and definitive hosts, including felids. This study reports Sarcocystis species in the tongues of cougars (Puma concolor couguar) in Colorado for the first time. By light microscope, sarcocysts were found in 4 of 30 cougars; they appeared to represent more than 2 morphologic types by light microscopy. One morphologic type had serrations on the sarcocyst wall and resembled Sarcocystis felis reported from domestic and wild felids. In the second type, serrations were not visible on the sarcocyst wall. Molecular characterization using the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region revealed the presence of a Sarcocystis felis-like organism. This is the first characterization of ITS1 from a wild felid in the United States.