Investigation on the occurrence of Sarcosporidia in roe deer, red deer, and mouflon from two different natural habitats in Lower Saxony

Diaphragm and stomach muscle samples taken from roe deer, red deer, and mouflon from Lower Saxony were investigated for Sarcosporidia using the tryptic digestion method. The Sarcosporidia species among roe deer (S. gracilis, S. capreolicanis, Sarcocystis sp.) were differentiated by the cyst wall structure using light microscopy. A Sarcosporidia infection could be determined among 87.3% of the 102 roe deer investigated. Fawns proved to be significantly less infected than the one - two year old animals and those over two years of age. A Sarcosporidia infection was present in 86% of the 100 red deer investigated. Calves were significantly less infected than the one-two year old and over two year old animals. Red deer from the Heide/Borde region showed significantly higher infection rates than those from the Harz/Solling region. Sarcosporidia were found in 90.2% of the 41 investigated mouflons. The infection rate among the lambs was significantly lower than among the older animals. The diaphragm muscles of the investigated species proved to be significantly more infected with Sarcosporidia than the stomach muscles. The average infection rate of the diaphragm and stomach muscles for roe deer were 219,000, respectively 153,000 cysts per g of muscle tissue; that of red deer 298,000, respectively 237,000. The average infection rates of 635,000 respectively 483,000 cysts per g diaphragm and stomach muscle tissue of mouflons more than doubled those of roe and red deer. For 77 of the 100 investigated roe deer (75.5%) the isolation and species differentiation of sarcosporida cysts was possible. Infection with a single species was prevalent among 31.4% of the roe deer, a mixed infection with two or three cyst species was shown by 38.2% respectively 5.9% of the roe deer. The proportion of one-two year old and over two year old deer in which no cysts could be isolated was 8.6% respectively 6.4%. Significantly less cysts were isolated in fawns On the whole for only 86.5% of the roe deer testing Sarcocystis positive using the tryptic digestion method could cysts be actually demonstrated. For 68.8% of these deer S, gracilis or Sarcocystis sp. could be identified. The proportion of roe deer infected with S, capreolicanis was 28.6%. S, capreolicanis was diagnosed significantly less often among fawns (12.5%) and one-two year old animals (25%) than among older animals (41.4%).