Intestinal helminthes of cervidae in the Aukštaitija National Park

• Main Authors: Aukštikalnienė, Rasa, Bukelskis, Egidijus, Kašėtaitė, Eglė
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian; English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Cervidae; Alces alces; Cervus elaphus; Capreolus capreolus; Helminthes; Nematodes; Flatworms
• Online Access: http://vu.lvb.lt/VU:ELABAPDB3880762&prefLang=en_US

The aim of this study was to identify helminthes in the alimentary tract of Cervidae. Parasitological study of Moose (Alces alces), Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) has been implemented in the areas of the hunting research base of Vilnius University, the Ignalina and Utena regions, on the area of the Aukštaitija National Park. Additional material for coprological analyses of farmed Red Deer was collected. To examine the faeces, the modified method of McMaster, methods of sedimentation and cultures of larvae were applied. It has been found that 100% of Cervidae were infected with nematodes of the Strongylidae, Trichostrongylidae, Strongyloidae and Trichuridae families, as well as with the flatworms of Paramphistomatidae and Fasciolidae families. Free ranging Red Deer were infected with seven nematode species, while farmed Red Deer were infected with three of them. Moose were infected with six nematode species and Roe Deer were infected with four. Flatworm P. cervi was characteristic of all the examined game animals. F. hepatica has been determined in Moose and the farmed Red Deer. It is stated that now the parasitological situation in wild game in the examined district is not very bad (the infection level in most cases was lower than 200 epg). In order to assess seasonal ability of the infection and the extent of the helminthes invasion in wild game, it is very important to examine more Cervidae during seasons of the year, also, to carry out the coproscopic analysis of animals of the different age ranges, and finally, to determine herb contamination with the nematode larvae.