MUSCULAR SARCOCYSTIS INFECTION IN A BEAR (URSUS-AMERICANUS)

Sarcocysts of an unidentified Sarcocystis species were found in sectio ns of skeletal muscles of a black bear (Ursus americanus) from North C arolina. Two sarcocysts in a section measured 45 x 37.5 mu m and 67.5 x 50 mu m and had a thin (<2 mu m) sarcocyst wall. The villar protrusi ons on the cyst wall were up to 2 mu m long and up to 0.7 mu m wide. T he bradyzoites were approximately 6 x 2.5 mu m in size. This the first report of muscular Sarcocystis in a bear.