Milena Mišić, Bojana Milić, Anka Vasić, Dragan Zdravković, Ivan Tasić, Nataša Miladinović-Tasić and Suzana Tasić

Healteh Care Institute

    Sarcosporidiosis (Sarcocystis infection) is caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite that predominantly affects animals. It can rarely be found in human skeletal and cardiac muscle in humans. There are two different forms of sarcosporidiosis in humans. These cases of muscular sarcocystosis were probably zoonotic in origin and associated with close contact with definitive hosts (both domestic and wild animals) thus permitting the contamination of food and drink with sporocystis shed by these definitive hosts. The second mode of infection for humans is ingested animal tissues which containing sporozoites (e.g., undercooked meats). These sporozoited directly intestinal epithelial cells and can enter the circulation in an manner similiar to those released from oocysts from the intermediate or accidental host. Acta Medica Medianae 2004; 43(3): 73-76.