SARCOCYSTOSIS IN MINK (MUSTELA-VISON)

This report describes the clinical, microscopic, and ultrastructural f indings in mink with muscular sarcocystosis. Three 2-3-mo-old mink wer e killed because they were ill with signs of progressive neurological disease, One mink had variable numbers of sarcocysts in multiple skele tal muscles. Sarcocysts were up to 300 mu m in long and 20 mu m wide. Ultrastructurally, the sarcocyst wall had numerous elongated 1.7-2.0-m u m x 250-nm villar protrusions (VP). The VP had microtubules and irre gularly distanced minute undulations. Both metrocytes and bradyzoites were present in sarcocysts. The mink with sarcocysts in muscles also h ad nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis and meningomyelitis. Similar bra in lesions were found in other 2 mink from the same fan, but sarcocyst s were not observed in the skeletal muscle of these animals. This is t he first report of muscular sarcocystosis in mink.