First report of human intestinal sarcocystosis in Cambodia. Issue 5 (October 2017) - Khieu, Virak
Abstract: Human intestinal sarcocystosis (HIS), caused by Sarcocystis species, is acquired by eating undercooked meat from sarcocyst-containing cattle ( S. hominis, S. heydorni ) and pigs ( S. suihominis ). We report on the detection of human intestinal Sarcocystis infections in a cross-sectional survey of Strongyloides stercoralis in early 2014, in Rovieng District, Preah Vihear Province, northern Cambodia. Among 1081 participants, 108 (10.0%) were diagnosed with Sarcocystis spp. oocysts in stool samples. Males had a significantly higher risk of infection than females (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3–2.9, p = 0.001). None of the reported symptoms (abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, muscle pain and itching skin) occurring in the two weeks preceding the examinations were associated with a Sarcocystis infection. Many Sarcocystis cases were found among those who had participated in a wedding celebration and Chinese New Year festivities, where they had consumed raw or insufficiently cooked beef (83.3%) and pork (38.9%) based dishes. This report documents the first HIS cases in Cambodia. Graphical abstract: Highlights: First report of human intestinal sarcocystosis in Cambodia 10% of 1081 persons were infected and significantly more men than women. Sarcocystis spp. infection was linked to consumption of insufficiently cooked beef and pork.