{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T16:50:49Z","timestamp":1790268649208,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,2]],"date-time":"2025-09-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756771200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Sarcocystis is a genus of heteroxenous, globally distributed coccidian parasites. Limited research has been conducted on the natural infection of Sarcocystis in rodents in the Middle East. In this study, the Libyan jird (Meriones libycus) was identified as the natural intermediate host of the new species Sarcocystis meriones, based on morphological and molecular data. Microscopic sarcocysts were detected in the thigh muscles of 8.5% (4\/47) of Libyan jirds captured from a semi-desert area in Amghara, Eastern Kuwait. Under the light microscope, sarcocysts were filamentous with blunt ends and thin walls, measuring 1550 \u00d7 89 \u00b5m. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the densely packed protrusions measure 1.2 \u00d7 0.5 \u00b5m and resemble thuja or a cylinder and having lateral microvilli, while the ground substance layer was 0.5\u20130.6 \u00b5m thick and type 22-like. Based on four genetic loci (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS1, and cox1), S. meriones was genetically most similar to S. myodes and S. ratti, infecting voles and mice of the genus Apodemus and black rats (Rattus rattus), respectively. Phylogenetic results suggest predatory mammals as potential definitive hosts of S. meriones. Further studies are needed to reveal host specificity, geographical distribution, and the impact of the parasite on the host\u2019s health of the newly described Sarcocystis species.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15172575","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,2]],"date-time":"2025-09-02T12:04:28Z","timestamp":1756814668000},"page":"2575","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Morphological and Molecular Description of Sarcocystis meriones n. sp. from the Libyan Jird (Meriones libycus) in Kuwait"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Fatemah A. M.","family":"Aryan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Science, College of Basic Education, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, Kuwait City 23167, Kuwait"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Osama M. E.","family":"El-Azazy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Laboratories, Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, P.O. Box 21422, Safat, Kuwait City 13075, Kuwait"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7702-1817","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Evelina","family":"Juozaityt\u0117-Ngugu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7559-9316","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Donatas","family":"\u0160neideris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laila M. A.","family":"Tahrani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Laboratories, Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, P.O. Box 21422, Safat, Kuwait City 13075, Kuwait"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2892-0493","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dalius","family":"Butkauskas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5115-2659","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Petras","family":"Prakas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dubey, J.P., Calero-Bernal, R., Rosenthal, B.M., Speer, C.A., and Fayer, R. (2016). 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