Identity of Sarcocystis species of the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and cattle (Bos taurus) and the suppression of Sarcocystis sinensis as a nomen nudum

Abstract

There are uncertainties concerning the identity and host species specificity of Sarcocystisspecies of the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and cattle (Bos taurus). Currently, in cattlethree species are recognized with known endogenous stages, viz.: S. cruzi (with caninedefinitive host), S. hirsuta (feline definitive host), and S. hominis (primate definitive host).Recently, a fourth Sarcocystis species with an unknown life cycle has been reported from cat-tle. In the water buffalo, four species of Sarcocystis have been described: S. fusiformis (felinedefinitive host), S. buffalonis (feline definitive host), S. levinei (canine definitive host), andS. dubeyi (definitive host unknown but not cat or dog). Besides, there are studies of Sarco-cystis infections in buffalo and cattle from China with results that are difficult to interpretand validate. For example, some of the studies report transmission of Sarcocystis speciesbetween cattle and buffalo, but steps to preclude exogenous exposures were not reported.A species of the water buffalo, ‘S. sinensis’, was proposed at a Chinese national conferencein 1990, and published as an abstract without figures and with no archived type specimensfor verification. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature Articles 9 and 10 statethat “abstracts of articles, papers, posters, text of lectures, and similar material when issuedprimarily to participants at meetings, symposia, colloquia or congress does not constitutepublished work”; therefore, S. sinensis is a nomen nudum.