Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of species (alpacas and llamas), markets in the city of Huancayo (Ferrocarril Commercial Center, Nueva Esperanza, and Nazareth), and muscle groups on the prevalence of Sarcocystis sp. Between January and October 2023, a total of 2,211 carcasses were inspected, comprising 1,716 alpacas and 495 llamas. The results indicated a prevalence of 21 (104/495 carcasses) in llamas and 8 (138/1,716 carcasses) in alpacas. By region of origin, the prevalence in alpacas was reported as follows: Huancavelica (7.7) with 14/181 carcasses, Junín (6.7) with 55/820 carcasses, and Lima (9.7) with 69/715 carcasses. For llamas, the Lima region exhibited the highest prevalence of sarcocystosis (33.9) with 72/212 carcasses, followed by Huancavelica (14.7) with 14/102 carcasses, and Junín (9.8) with 18/181 carcasses. Regarding the markets, the Ferrocarril market presented the highest risk of contamination, serving as the reference group for comparison. In contrast, the Nazareth and Nueva Esperanza markets showed significantly lower odds of Sarcocystis sp. presence, with Odds Ratios (ORs) of 0.38 and 0.25, respectively. For muscle groups, the anatomical distribution of Sarcocystis sp. cysts revealed a preferential localization in the leg (OR = 1.65) and neck (OR = 1.20) compared to the shoulder. This investigation provides significant data on the prevalence of Sarcocystis sp. in alpacas and llamas, highlighting a higher prevalence in llamas despite their smaller sample size. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to address this parasitic infection in camelid production systems. © The Author(s) 2025