1988 Volume 41 Issue 3 Pages 183-187
The development of Sarcocystis miescheriana in pigs was examined in artificially induced infections. Female and castrated 2-month-old Landrace pigs were inoculated with 5000-10000 sporocysts. They were killed on days 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 63 and 100 after inoculation. Cysts in the muscle was histologically examined in addition to the microscopic observation of fresh cysts removed from the muscle.
Cysts were first detected in the muscle on day 30. They had a thin wall and many metrocytes. Cysts from days 40 through 100 had a thick and radially striated wall. Bradyzoites could be first found in cysts on day 50. Cysts increased in length until day 63 in proportion to the course of in fection. Afterward, they hardly increased. The cysts increased in width in the course of infection until at least day 100. Cysts became mature about week 9, this being confirmed by shedding of sporocysts from puppies fed the meat of inoculated pigs sacrificed on days 63 and 100.
