{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T17:13:52Z","timestamp":1791911632962,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"American Society of Parasitologists","issue":"6","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Journal of Parasitology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Sarcocystis species are intracellular protozoan parasites that infect a wide range of intermediate and definitive hosts, including felids. This study reports Sarcocystis species in the tongues of cougars (Puma concolor couguar) in Colorado for the first time. By light microscope, sarcocysts were found in 4 of 30 cougars; they appeared to represent more than 2 morphologic types by light microscopy. One morphologic type had serrations on the sarcocyst wall and resembled Sarcocystis felis reported from domestic and wild felids. In the second type, serrations were not visible on the sarcocyst wall. Molecular characterization using the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region revealed the presence of a Sarcocystis felis-like organism. This is the first characterization of ITS1 from a wild felid in the United States.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1645\/25-57","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,4]],"date-time":"2026-01-04T04:17:24Z","timestamp":1767500244000},"page":"823-831","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Sarcocystis Infections in Tongues of Cougars (Puma concolor couguar) in Colorado"],"prefix":"10.1645","volume":"111","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4455-2870","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"J. P.","family":"Dubey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland 20705."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aditya","family":"Gupta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland 20705."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Reichard","family":"Mason","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, 250 McElroy Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marc","family":"Criffield","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 298 Sabal Palm Road, Naples, Florida 34111."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kenneth A.","family":"Logan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2300 S. Townsend Avenue, Montrose, Colorado 81401."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"B. M.","family":"Rosenthal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, Maryland 20705."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1220","reference":[{"key":"4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"R. Calero-Bernal, N. F. Mauroo, S. W. Hui, et al.  \"Veterinary Parasitology.\"  235, \"Acute fatal sarcocystosis hepatitis in an Indo-Pacific bottle-nose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in Hong Kong.\" 64 (2017)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2017.01.001"},{"key":"6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"C. K. Cerqueira-C\u00e9zar, P. C. Thompson, S. K. 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Kothavale, et al.  \"Journal of Parasitology.\"  111, \"Sarcocystis infections in river otter (Lontra canadensis) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.\" 516 (2025a)","DOI":"10.1645\/25-25"},{"key":"12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. P. Dubey, A. Gupta, B. M. Rosenthal, et al.  \"Veterinary Parasitology Regional Studies and Reports.\"  58, \"High prevalence of Sarcocystis and Trichinella infections in skeletal muscles of gray wolves (Canis lupus arctos) from Alaska, USA.\" 101207 (2025b)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vprsr.2025.101207"},{"key":"13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. P. Dubey, A. Gupta, B. M. Rosenthal, et al.  \"Veterinary Parasitology Regional Studies and Reports.\"  63, \"Sarcocystis infections in bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Minnesota, USA.\" 101319 (2025c)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vprsr.2025.101319"},{"key":"14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. P. Dubey, A. Gupta, B. M. Rosenthal, et al.  \"Parasitologia.\"  5, \"Sarcocystis and Hepatozoon infections in tongues of bobcats (Lynx rufus) in Oklahoma.\" 24 (2025d)","DOI":"10.3390\/parasitologia5020024"},{"key":"15","unstructured":"J. P. Dubey, A. N. Hamir, C. E. Kirkpatrick, et al.  \"Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington.\"  59, \"Sarcocystis felis sp. n. (Protozoa: Sarcocystidae) from the bobcat (Felis rufus).\" 227 (1992)"},{"key":"16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. P. Dubey, W. J. Saville, D. S. Lindsay, et al.  \"Journal of Parasitology.\"  86, \"Completion of the life cycle of Sarcocystis neurona.\" 1276 (2000)","DOI":"10.1645\/0022-3395(2000)086[1276:COTLCO]2.0.CO;2"},{"key":"18","unstructured":"H. M. Elsheikha, F. A. Kennedy, A. J. Murphy, et al.  \"Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology.\"  36, \"Sarcocystosis of Sarcocystis felis in cats.\" 1071 (2006)"},{"key":"19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"K. D. Gillis, R. J. Mackay, C. A. 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Hamnes,  \"International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife.\"  7, \"Molecular identification of Sarcocystis halieti n. sp., Sarcocystis lari and Sarcocystis truncata in the intestine of a white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Norway.\" 1 (2017)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijppaw.2017.12.001"},{"key":"24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"E. C. Greiner, M. E. Roelke, C. T. Atkinson, et al.  \"Journal of Wildlife Diseases.\"  25, \"Sarcocystis sp. in muscles of free-ranging Florida panthers and cougars (Felis concolor).\" 623 (1989)","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-25.4.623"},{"key":"25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"A. Gupta, L. S. De Araujo, R. Calero-Bernal, et al.  \"Journal of Parasitology.\"  110, \"Molecular and morphological characterization of Sarcocystis infections in muscles of gray wolves (Canis lupus) from Minnesota suggest they may serve as reservoirs for infection in domesticated dogs.\" 471 (2024)","DOI":"10.1645\/24-72"},{"key":"26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"E. Juozaityt\u0117-Ngugu, E. Maziliauskait\u0117, M. Kirju\u0161ina, et al.  \"Veterinary Science.\"  11, \"Identification of Sarcocystis and Trichinella species in muscles of Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) from Lithuania.\" 85 (2024)","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci11020085"},{"key":"28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"J. P. Kluge,  \"Bulletin of the Wildlife Disease Association.\"  3, \"Trichinosis and sarcosporidiosis in a puma.\" 110 (1967)","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-3.3.110"},{"key":"30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"L. Kutkien\u0117, P. Prakas, A. Sruoga, et al.  \"Parasitology Research.\"  107, \"The mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) as intermediate host for Sarcocystis wobeseri sp. nov. from the barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis).\" 879 (2010)","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-010-1945-4"},{"key":"31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Z. Liao, N. Zhu, Y. Yang, et al.  \"Animals.\"  15, \"Morphological and molecular identification of Sarcocystis arctica in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in China helps clarify phylogenetic relationships with Sarcocystis caninum and Sarcocystis felis.\" 180 (2025)","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15020180"},{"key":"32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. S. Lignon, D. M. Pinto, S. G. Monteiro, et al.  \"Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterin\u00e1ria.\"  34, \"First molecular detection of Sarcocystis arctica (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) infecting crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) in Brazil.\" e021024 (2025)","DOI":"10.1590\/S1984-29612025038"},{"key":"33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"K. A. Logan  and J. P. Runge  \"Wildlife Monographs.\"  209, \"Effects of hunting on a puma population in Colorado.\" 1 (2021)","DOI":"10.1002\/wmon.1061"},{"key":"35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"O. M\u00e1ca  and D. Gonz\u00e1lez-Sol\u00eds  \"International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife.\"  17, \"Role of three bird species in the life cycle of two Sarcocystis spp. (Apicomplexa, Sarcocystidae) in the Czech Republic.\" 133 (2022)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijppaw.2022.01.002"},{"key":"36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"R. Murata, Y. Kodo, A. Maeno, et al.  \"Parasitology International.\"  99, \"Detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis sp. in the meat of common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata): A case of suspected food poisoning in Japan.\" 102832 (2024)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.parint.2023.102832"},{"key":"38","unstructured":"P. Prakas, B. Dalius, S. Aniolas, et al.  \"Veterinarija Ir Zootechnika (Vet Med Zoot). T.\"  55, \"Identification of Sarcocystis columbae in wood pigeons (Columba palumbus) in Lithuania.\" 33 (2011)"},{"key":"39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"P. Prakas, L. Kutkien\u00e9, D. Butkauskas, et al.  \"Folia Parasitologica.\"  61, \"Description of Sarcocystis lari sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) from the great black-backed gull, Larus marinus (Charadriiformes: Laridae), on the basis of cyst morphology and molecular data.\" 11 (2014)","DOI":"10.14411\/fp.2014.002"},{"key":"40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"P. Prakas, Z. Strazdait\u0117-\u017dielien\u0117, E. Rudaityt\u0117-Luko\u0161ien\u0117, et al.  \"Parasitology Research.\"  117, \"Molecular identification of Sarcocystis lutrae (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) in muscles of five species of the family Mustelidae.\" 1989 (2018)","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-018-5880-0"},{"key":"41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"M. V. Reichard, K. Logan, M. Criffield, et al.  \"Journal of Helminthology.\"  91, \"The occurrence of Trichinella species in the cougar Puma concolor couguar from the state of Colorado and other regions of North and South America.\" 320 (2017)","DOI":"10.1017\/S0022149X16000262"},{"key":"42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"E. Rudaityt\u0117-Luko\u0161ien\u0117, M. Jasiulionis, L. Bal\u010diauskas, et al.  \"Biology.\"  11, \"Morphological and molecular description of Sarcocystis myodes n. sp. from the Bank Vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Lithuania.\" 512 (2022)","DOI":"10.3390\/biology11040512"},{"key":"43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"A. P. Sato, T. C. E. Da Silva, T. P. De Pontes, et al.  \"Parasitology International.\"  90, \"Molecular characterization of Sarcocystis spp. in seabirds from southern Brazil.\" 102595 (2022)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.parint.2022.102595"},{"key":"44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. St Leger, Y. Chen, K. Sakamaki, et al.  \"International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife.\"  22, \"Fatal hepatic sarcocystosis in three captive and one free-ranging pinniped\" 249 (2023)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijppaw.2023.10.010"},{"key":"29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"S. Kumar, G. Stecher, M. Li, et al.  \"Molecular Biology and Evolution.\"  35, \"MEGA X: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis across computing platforms.\" 1547 (2018)","DOI":"10.1093\/molbev\/msy096"},{"key":"27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"V. Kirillova, P. Prakas, R. Calero-Bernal, et al.  \"Parasites & Vectors.\"  11, \"Identification and genetic characterization of Sarcocystis arctica and Sarcocystis lutrae in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Baltic States and Spain.\" 173 (2018)","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-018-2694-y"},{"key":"1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"A. J. Anderson, E. C. Greiner, C. T. Atkinson, et al.  \"Journal of Wildlife Diseases.\"  28, \"Sarcocystis in the Florida bobcat (Felis rufus floridanus).\" 116 (1992)","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-28.1.116"},{"key":"2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. R. Bell,  \"BioTechniques.\"  44, \"A simple way to treat PCR products prior to sequencing using ExoSAP-IT.\" 834 (2008)","DOI":"10.2144\/000112890"},{"key":"5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"W. A. Ca\u00f1\u00f3n-Franco, N. L. Orozco, A. U. Christoff, et al.  \"Veterinary Parasitology.\"  217, \"Molecular and morphologic characterization of Sarcocystis felis (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) in South American wild felids from Brazil.\" 15 (2016)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2015.12.025"},{"key":"3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"R. Calero-Bernal, C. K. Cerqueira-C\u00e9zar, S. K. Verma, et al.  \"Parasitology Research.\"  115, \"Sarcocystis arctica (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae): Ultrastructural description and its new host record, the Alaskan wolf (Canis lupus).\" 2893 (2016)","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-016-5067-5"},{"key":"7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. P. Dubey, R. Calero-Bernal, B. M. Rosenthal, et al.  \"Sarcocystosis of Animals and Humans.\"  501 (2016)","DOI":"10.1201\/b19184"},{"key":"17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. P. Dubey, J. E. Sykes, G. D. Shelton, et al.  \"Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology.\"  62, \"Sarcocystis caninum and Sarcocystis svanai n. spp. (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) associated with severe myositis and hepatitis in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris).\" 307 (2015)","DOI":"10.1111\/jeu.12182"},{"key":"22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"B. Gjerde  and J. Schulze  \"Parasitology Research.\"  113, \"Muscular sarcocystosis in two arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) due to Sarcocystis arctica n. sp.: Sarcocyst morphology, molecular characteristics and phylogeny.\" 811 (2014)","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-013-3711-x"},{"key":"34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"O. M\u00e1ca,  \"Parasitology Research.\"  117, \"Molecular identification of Sarcocystis lutrae in the European otter (Lutra lutra) and the European badger (Meles meles) from the Czech Republic.\" 943 (2018)","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-018-5793-y"},{"key":"37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"I. Pavl\u00e1sek  and O. M\u00e1ca  \"Parasitology International.\"  66, \"Morphological and molecular identification of Sarcocystis arctica sarcocysts in three red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the Czech Republic.\" 603 (2017)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.parint.2017.05.003"},{"key":"46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Y. Ye, Y. Liang, J. Hu, et al.  \"Parasitology Research.\"  117, \"First isolation of Sarcocystis caninum sarcocysts from two domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) from China.\" 3613 (2018)","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-018-6060-y"},{"key":"9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"J. P. Dubey, L. S. De Araujo, A. Gupta, et al.  \"Journal of Parasitology.\"  110, \"Trichinella and at least three species of Sarcocystis parasitize the muscles of bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Mississippi.\" 402 (2024)","DOI":"10.1645\/24-6"},{"key":"45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"S. K. Verma, R. Calero-Bernal, M. J. Lovallo, et al.  \"Veterinary Parasitology.\"  212, \"Detection of Sarcocystis spp. infection in bobcats (Lynx rufus).\" 422 (2015)","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2015.06.007"}],"container-title":["Journal of Parasitology"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T21:35:07Z","timestamp":1791236107000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bioone.org\/journals\/journal-of-parasitology\/volume-111\/issue-6\/25-57\/Sarcocystis-Infections-in-Tongues-of-Cougars-Puma-concolor-couguar-in\/10.1645\/25-57.full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1645\/25-57","relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-3395","1937-2345"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0022-3395","type":"print"},{"value":"1937-2345","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]}}}