Sarcocistys -associated menigoencephalitis is virtually an unrecognized cause of neurological disease in chickens. An undescribed species of Sarcocystis cause fatal infection in two backyard chickens in the Midwest of Brazil. Infected chickens presented anorexia, weight loss, incoordination, ataxia and opisthotonos. Yellow necrotic foci in the gray and white matter of the telencephalon were the main gross lesion. Microscopically, necrotizing granulomatous and heterophilic meningoencephalitis with intralesional Sarcocystis -like schizonts and mezoites were observed in the central nervous system. Molecular analysis of frozen brain samples of the two chickens was identical and the protozoan was named Sarcocystis sp. Chicken-2016-DF-BR. Complete nested PCR- sequence of Sarcocystis sp. Chicken-2016-DF-BR was equally similar to Sarcocystis anasi (EU553477) and Sarcocystis albifronsi (EU502868). This is the first report of Sarcocistys –associated meningoencephalitis with molecular characterization in backyard chickens.

结节病相关的脑膜炎实际上是鸡神经系统疾病的一种未被认识的病因。在巴西中西部，未描述的肉囊藻物种导致两只后院鸡发生致命感染。被感染的鸡表现出厌食，体重减轻，不协调，共济失调和眼球os。端脑灰质和白质中的黄色坏死灶是主要的主要病变。显微镜下，在中枢神经系统中观察到坏死性肉芽肿性和嗜异性脑膜脑炎伴病灶内的类囊藻裂殖体和裂殖子。两只鸡的冷冻脑样本的分子分析是相同的，原生动物被命名为Sarcocystis sp。Chicken-2016-DF-BR。完整的Sarcocystis sp。的嵌套PCR序列。Chicken-2016-DF-BR与Sarcocystis anasi（EU553477）和Sarcocystis albifronsi（EU502868）同样相似。这是关于后院鸡肉痛症相关性脑膜脑炎的分子特征的首次报道。