Although it could be a good business for northern Argentina, marketing llama meat is not at all simple to handle.

The production of camelids is growing in northern Argentina, especially that of the llama, driven especially by the sale of its fiber and milk. It could also be driven by the commercialization of its meat, if it weren't for a parasite deeply rooted in the area, which hinders everything. Known locally as "arrocillo" -although it is also present in countries in the region such as Bolivia, Chile, and Peru-, it is the main cause of sarcocystosis in South American camelids, a condition that causes macrocysts in the muscles of these animals. "It affects the llama but also the guanaco, the alpaca, and the vicuña. It is caused by Sarcocystis aucheniae. There are many species of Sarcocystis, about 200 described, but only this one causes these cysts that look like grains of rice. And although they are unpleasant to see, which is why health authorities confiscate this meat, it is not a zoonotic parasite that cycles in humans. Well cooked, absolutely nothing happens," explained to Bichos de ...