A survey of the gastro-intestinal nematodes of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in a mountain habitat.
Two hundred and twenty one roe deer from a xeric inner-alpine valley in Italy were investigated along four yearly cycles for the presence of gastro-intestinal nematodes. Road kills were the main source of this material. Spiculopteragia spiculoptera and Ostertagia leptospicularis, with their "minor" morphs S. mathevossiani and O. kolchida, were the dominant abomasal species, whereas Nematodirus europaeus was the only dominant species in the small intestine; therefore, species composition was typical of this ruminant host. Nematodes whose prime hosts are domestic and wild Bovids (Rupicapra rupicapra) were found occasionally. Abundances were low (407 nematodes in the abomasum, 209 in the small intestine, 6 in the large intestine) in spite of a high population density. Significant differences in worm counts were observed between seasons (abomasal worm counts peaked in late spring and summer whereas N. europaeus was more abundant in winter), years and between sex and age classes (higher abomasal counts in bucks vs does and in adult individuals vs fawns). Associations between worm counts and the condition of roe deer (five parameters taken into account) could not be demonstrated unambiguously. Based on data, the use of abomasal counts as a herd health index in the study area is not recommended.
Rossi
L
L
Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Epidemiologia ed Ecologia, Università di Torino, Italy.
Eckel
B
B
Ferroglio
E
E
D000018:Abomasum / Q000469:parasitology*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011157:Population Dynamics; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*