Molecular identification of bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Alaska, USA as a natural definitive host for Sarcocystis infections of bovid and cervid intermediate hosts.

Sarcocystis sporocysts were found in intestinal scrapings of two Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from Alaska, USA. The sporocysts/oocysts were characterized molecularly using Sarcocystis-specific primers targeting the 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cox1, and a region spanning 18S rRNA, ITS1, and 5.8S rRNA genes. The PCR amplification confirmed the presence of three Sarcocystis species in the bald eagles. They are: either of Sarcocystis bovini-like or Sarcocystis bovifelis-like parasites of European cattle (Bos taurus), Sarcocystis sp. of elk (Cervus canadensis), and either of Sarcocystis tarandi-like of deer (Rangifer tarandus) or Sarcocystis elongata-like parasites of red deer (Cervus elaphus) with identities of >98 %. This is the first report of H. leucocephalus as a definitive host for cervid and bovid infections. It is also the first report of S. bovini-like / S. bovifelis-like and S. tarandi-like / S. elongata-like parasites in the USA. Epidemiologic significance of findings is discussed.