Tim,
I think the reason we don't see Sarcocystosis within the diver population is how it is spread. They eat in a totally different environment most of the time. Seems to me the chain of events is something like this; Took this off of Google unfortunately I didn't know how to copy the drawings that they had to go with this.
Sarcocystis
Synonyms
Rice breast disease, sarcosporidiosis, sarcocystosis
Cause
Sarcocystis is a nonfatal, usually asymptomatic infection
that is caused by a parasitic protozoan. Various species of
this parasite affect mammals, reptiles, and birds. The most
commonly reported species of the parasite in North America
is Sarcocystis rileyi, the species most commonly found in
waterfowl.
Life Cycle
The Sarcocystis sp. parasites have an indirect life cycle
(Fig. 28.1) that requires a paratentic or transport host animal
(a bird), in which they live for a time before they are transported
to a definitive host animal (a carnivore), in which they
reach maturity. Birds ingest the eggs or oocysts of the mature
parasite in food or water that is contaminated by carnivore
feces, which contain the oocysts. The oocysts develop
in the intestine of the bird into an intermediate form, the
sporozoites, that enter the bird’s bloodstream and infect specific
cells of the blood vessels. Multiplication of these cells
gives rise to a second intermediate form, merozoites, that
are carried by the blood to the voluntary muscles, where elongated
cysts or macrocysts are eventually produced (Fig. 28.2).
The life cycle is completed when a carnivore ingests the infected
muscle tissue of a bird and the parasite reaches maturity
and releases oocysts in the intestines of the carnivore.
The carnivore is infected only in its intestine. Macrocysts do
Figure 28.1 General life cycle of
Sarcocystis sp.
Oocysts shed in
carnivore feces
Cysts ingested by carnivore and
parasite reaches maturity within
the carnivore
Oocysts ingested by bird in
contaminated food or water
Cysts develop
