Numerous partially and fully sporulated oocysts of Isospora papionis were found in the skeletal muscles of two free-ranging adult male chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). Only one of them had I. papionis oocysts in the intestines and then only a few. The oocysts appeared potentially viable and provoked a mild inflammatory response.The importance of the parasite in this location in regard to its life-cycle is discussed.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590;300dpi.
adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format

Basson, P.A.

De Vos, Valerius

McConnell, E.E.

Thomas, Shan E.

The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590;300dpi.
adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.Numerous partially and fully sporulated oocysts of Isospora papionis were found in the skeletal muscles of two free-ranging adult male chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). Only one of them had I. papionis oocysts in the intestines and then only a few. The oocysts appeared potentially viable and provoked a mild inflammatory response.The importance of the parasite in this location in regard to its life-cycle is discussed

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Onderstepoort }. vet. Res. 39 (2), 113-116 (1972) OOCYSTS OF ISOSPORA PAPIONIS IN THE SKELETAL MUSCLES OF CHACMA BABOONS* E. E. McCONNELL!, P. A. BASSON 2, SHAN E. THOMAsa and V. DE VOS4 ABSTRACT McCO~N~LL, E. E., BASSON, P. A., THOMAS, SHAN E. & DEVOS, V., 1972. Oocysts of Isospora paproms tn t~e skeletal muscles of chacma baboons. Onderstepoort}. vet. Res. 39(2) 113-116 (1972). Numerous partially . and fully sporulated oocysts of Isospora papionis were found in the skeletal muscles of two_free-~angtng adult male chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). Only one of them had I. papionis o~cys_ts m the mtesunes and then only a few. The oocysts appeared potentially viable and provoked a m1ld mflammatory response. The importance of the parasite in this location in regard to its life-cycle is discussed. iNTRODUCTION Isospora papionis McConnell, A. J. de Vos, Bass on & V. de Vos, 1971 is a recently discovered coccidium which inhabits the intestinal tract of a small percentage of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in the Kruger National Park (McConnell, A. J. de Vos, Bas son & V. de Vos, 1971). The purpose of this report is to record its occurrence in various skeletal muscles and to describe the associated lesions in this location. MATERIALS AND METHODS ~ total of_1_00 _chacma baboons were captured from vanous localltles In the Kruger National Park, Republic of South Africa, during the period of November 1969 t<? October 1971 to survey the naturally occurring disease~ among troops of free-ranging animals. They were erthe~ directly immobilized with phencyclidine hydrochlonde (Sernylant) or captured in cages before immobilization. After capture they were transported to the Veterinary Investigation Centre, Skukuza, where they were anaesthetized with the same drug, killed by exsanguination and necropsied. Portions of various skeletal muscles were collected from each animal and preserved in 10% buffered for-malin. Sections of these muscles were prepared at the Veterinary Research Institute, Onderstepoort, from paraffin embedded tissue and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE). After initial discovery of the coccidium in sections, small portions of infected unembedded formalin fixed muscle were placed between a slide and cover slip and examined directly to determine the exact nature, size and morphology of the parasite. RESULTS Parasites resembling the coccidium I. papionis were found in the skeletal muscles of two adult males (B1 19,1 kg and B39- 24,1 kg) of the 100 baboons surveyed. The _affec~ed muscles were the longissimus dorsi and quadrt~eps In B1 and the masseter in B39. They appeared as vanous developmental stages of sporulating and fully tParke-Davis & Co. •This work was supported in part by a research grant Project Number 3A061102B71Q from the Medical Research and Develop-me~t Command, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C. 1MaJor, USAF, VC, Geographic Pathology Division Armed Fo~ces Institute ?f Pathology, Washington, D.C., T~mporary assignment- Section of Pathology, Veterinary Research Institute Onderstepoort •section of Pathology, Veterinary Research Institute, Onderste-poort •section of Protozoology, Veterinary Research Institute, Onderste-poort 4Veterinary Investigation Centre, Skukuza, Kruger National Park Received 23 May 1972 - Editor 113 sporulated oocysts in the endomesial and p erimesial connective tissues of both baboons where they usually elicited a mild inflammatory response (Fig. 1 and 2). Plasma cells predominated and, to a lesser extent, there were macrophages and fibroblasts. Eosinophiles were rare. It could not be determined whether the parasites were intra- or extracellular, although they were intimate-ly surrounded by cells resembling fibroblasts. Small blood vessels occurred in the parasitized areas and al-though direct involvement was not determined, such a possibility could not be excluded. The sarcolemma appeared intact and not demonstrably affected by the coccidium or the inflammatory process. A thin delicate oocyst wall surrounded two ellipsoidal sp?rocysts which were in various stages of development (Fig. 3 and 4). The fully developed ones each contained fo~r banana-shaped sporozoites and a coarse granular residuum. The sporocyst wall was thicker and more pronounced than that of the oocysts and did not rupture as easily as the latter when the parasites were teased from the tissue. Twenty oocysts measured 16,3 to 18,5 by 11,1 to 13,3fL with a mean of 17,6 by 12,1 fL. Their length-width ratios were 1,3 to 1,7 with a mean of 1,45. Fifteen sporocysts measured 10,4 to 12,6 by 8,1 to 9,6fL with a mean of 12,1 by 9,0fL. Their length-width ratios were 1,2 to 1,5 with a mean of 1,3. One of the baboons (B1) had a very small number of gamonts and oocysts of I. papionis in the small in testine but none could be found in B39, either on histological examination or after scraping several areas of the intact mucosa. :'wo other baboons, B4 (male - 28,3 kg) and B16 (male- 29,1 kg) had a few coccidia in the intestinal mucosa but none were found in specimens of the skeletal muscle. None of the other tissues examined, including the myocardium, were parasitized by oocysts. Faeces were obtained from all 100 baboons but oocysts were found only in B4 and then only after an exhaustive search. DISCUSSION According to McConnell et al. (1971), the oocysts of I. papionis in the small intestine measured 17 by 11 fL OOCYSTS OF ISOSPORA PAPIONIS IN THE SKELETAL MUSCLES OF CHACMA BABOONS 3 FIG. 1 Section of skeletal muscle showing oocysts of I.papionis(arrow) between muscle fibres within a mild inflammatory reaction. HE X 200 FIG. 2 Higher magnification of a similar area showing an oocyst containing two collapsed sporocysts (with parts of sporozoites within) in the centre and portions of two other ones at the left. HE X 1200 FIG. 3 Thin portion of unstained muscle showing sporulated oocyst at the edge of a fibre. Note that the sarcolemma appears intact . Wet preparation X 1200 FIG. 4 Similar to Figure 3. Note the granular residuum (arrow). Wet preparation X 1200 (muscle oocysts 17,6 X 12,1/L) with a length-width ratio of 1,45 (muscle oocysts 1,45). The sporocysts measured 11 by 8,5f-L (muscle sporocysts 12,1 X 9,0f-L) with a length-width ratio of 1,38 (muscle sporocysts 1,3). Thus the measurements of the parasites from both sites are virtually identical. They are also indistinguishable in shape and internal structure. Hence, it seems perfectly reasonable to assume that one is dealing with the same parasite. Coccidiosis is usually considered to be a disease of the intestinal tract. However, there are exceptions such as hepatic coccidiosis (Eimeria stiedae) of rabbits, renal coccidiosis (E. truncata) in geese and Eimeria spp. of certain fish which attack the liver, gall bladder, peri-toneum and air bladder (Pellerdy, 1965). Recently coccidia (E. neitzi) have been found in the uterus of impalas (Aepyceros melampus) (McCully, Basson, V. de Vos & A. J. de Vos, 1970) and what was believed to be coccidia were encountered in the uterus and liver of the hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) by McCully, Van Niekerk & Kruger (1967). The schizonts of certain intestinal coccidia (Eimeria spp.) have been found in the mesenteric lymph nodes of naturally infected sheep (Lotze, Shalkop, Leek & Behin, 1964) and in the livers of experimentally infected chicken embryos (Long, 1970). The historic discovery by Hutchison, Dunachie, Siim & Work (1970) and Frenkel, Dubey & Miller 114 (1970) of the coccidian (Isospora sp.) developmental cycle of Toxoplasma gondii in cats has introduced new concepts in the life cycle of these protozoan parasites. Frenkel & Dubey (1972) subsequently showed that rodents may act as intermediate hosts of the feline coccidia, Isospora jelis and I. rit1olta, and Dubey & Frenkel (1972) found asexual stages of these parasites in the liver, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, brain, lung and muscle of experimentally infected kittens. The present study extends the above new information by demonstrating that sexual stages (oocysts) of an intestinal Isospora sp. can occur spontaneously in an extra-intestinal location. The above-mentioned studies (Hutchison eta/., 1970; Frenkel et al., 1970; Dubey & Frenkel, 1972 and Frenkel & Dubey, 1972) have confirmed that some Isospora spp. may develop in more than one host and in various tissues. The interesting question now arises whether carnivores play a role in the life-cycle of I. papionis. It is well known that leopards and lions are the primary predators of feral baboons. If I. papionis could infect these carnivores, then sporulated oocysts in the muscle would not be a "dead-end" for the parasite but rather an advantageous locality. AcKNOWLEDGEMENTS We wish to thank the National Parks Board for the opportunity to do this study; the Director, Veterinary E. E. McCONNELL, P. A. BASSON, SHAN E. THOMAS & V . DE VOS Services, and the Director, Veterinary Research Institute, Onderstepoort for the facilities; the biological staff of the Kruger National Park, the staff of the Veterinary Investigation Centre, Skukuza, for their co-operation and assistance and Mr. J. L. de B. van der Merwe and his technical staff in the Section of Pathology, Onderste-poort for preparation of the sections. REFERENCES DuBEY, J. P. & FRENKEL, J. K., 1972. Extra-intestinal stages of Isospora felis and /. rivolta (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) in cats. ]. Protozoal., 19, 89-92. FRENKEL, J. K. & DuBEY, J. P., 1972. Rodents as vectors for feline coccidia, Isospora felis and Isospora rivo!ta. f. inf. Dis., 125, 69-72. FRENKEL, J. K., DuBEY, J.P. & MILLER, N. L., 1970. Toxoplasma gondii in cats: Fecal stages identified as coccidian oocysts. Science, N.Y., 167, 893-896. HuTCHISON, W.l'vL, DuNACHIE, J . F., SuM, J. CHR. & WoRK, K ., 1970. Coccidian-like nature of Toxoplasma gondii. Brit. med. ]., 1, 142-144. LoNG, P. L., 1970. Development (schizogony) of Eimeria tenella in the liver of chickens treated with corticosteroids. Nature, Lond., 225, 290-291. LoTZE, J. C., SHALKOP, W. T., LEEK, R. G. & BEHIN, R., 1964. Coccidian schizonts in mesenteric lymph nodes of sheep and goats.]. Parasito!., 50, 205-208. McCoNNELL, E. E., DEVos, A.]., BAssoN, P. A. & DEVos, V ., 1971. Isospora papionis n.sp. (Eimeriidae) of the chacma baboon Papio ursinus (Kerr, 1792). f. Protozool., 18, 28-32. McCuLLY, R. M., VAN NIEKERK, J. W. & KRuGER, S. P., 1967 . Observations on the pathology of bilharziasis and other parasit-ic infections of Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus, 1758, from the Kruger National Park. Ondn·stepoort f. vet. Res., 34, 563-618. McCuLLY, R. M., BAssoN, P. A., DEVos, V. & DEVos, A. ] ., 1970. Uterine coccidiosis of the impala caused by Eimeria neitzi spec. nov. Onderstepoort]. vet. Res., 37, 45-58. PELLERDY, L. P., 1965. Coccidia and coccidiosis. Budapest : Akademiai Kiad6. I'rinted in the Republic of South Africa for the Government Printer, Pretoria, by Heer Printing Co. (Pty) Ltd., Pretoria. 115 

Oocysts of Isospora papionis in the skeletal muscles of chacma baboons

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Oocysts of Isospora papionis in the skeletal muscles of chacma baboons

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