Emergence of the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern Minnesota, USA
Background Moose (Alces alces) are a culturally and economically valued species in Minnesota. However, the moose population has experienced a sudden, marked decline in their range, including extirpation in the northwest and a 66% decline in the last decade in the northeast portions of the state. Alt...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_compmedpubs/119 https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=utk_compmedpubs |
id |
ftunivtennknox:oai:trace.tennessee.edu:utk_compmedpubs-1118 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivtennknox:oai:trace.tennessee.edu:utk_compmedpubs-1118 2023-05-15T13:12:51+02:00 Emergence of the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern Minnesota, USA Grunenwald, Caroline M. Butler, Erika Wünschmann, Arno Armien, Anibal G. Carstensen, Michelle Hildebrand, Erik Moon, Roger D. Gerhold, Richard W., Jr. 2018-09-10T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_compmedpubs/119 https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=utk_compmedpubs unknown TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_compmedpubs/119 https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=utk_compmedpubs Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences Moose (Alces alces) Parelaphostrongylus tenuis Elaeophora schneideri Parasitic infections text 2018 ftunivtennknox 2022-03-02T20:36:50Z Background Moose (Alces alces) are a culturally and economically valued species in Minnesota. However, the moose population has experienced a sudden, marked decline in their range, including extirpation in the northwest and a 66% decline in the last decade in the northeast portions of the state. Although the exact cause of this decline is unclear, parasitic metastrongylid and filarioid nematode infections are known causes of morbidity and mortality in moose across North America. Methods To determine if these parasitic nematodes could be contributing to the Minnesota moose population decline, we molecularly examined banked tissues obtained from moose that died of known and unknown causes for the presence of nematode DNA. Extracted brain DNA of 34 individual moose was amplified utilizing primers targeting the 18S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer regions of nematodes. Results DNA sequencing revealed that PCR products obtained from 15 (44.1%) of the moose were 99% identical to Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, a metastrongylid known to cause neurological disease and death. Additionally, brain tissue from 20 (58.8%) individuals yielded sequences that most closely aligned with Elaeophora schneideri, a parasite associated with neurological impairment but previously unreported in Minnesota. Setaria yehi, a common filarioid parasite of deer, was also detected in the brain tissue of 5 (14.7%) moose. Molecular screening of 618 captured tabanid flies from four trapping sites revealed E. schneideri was present (6%) in the Minnesota environment and transmission could occur locally. Prevalence rates among the flies ranged between 0–100% per trapping site, with Chrysops spp. and Hybomitra spp. implicated as the vectors. Conclusions Ultimately, these data confirm that P. tenuis is widespread in the Minnesota moose population and raises the question of the significance of E. schneideri as a contributing factor to morbidity and mortality in moose. Text Alces alces University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Trace |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Trace |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtennknox |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Moose (Alces alces) Parelaphostrongylus tenuis Elaeophora schneideri Parasitic infections |
spellingShingle |
Moose (Alces alces) Parelaphostrongylus tenuis Elaeophora schneideri Parasitic infections Grunenwald, Caroline M. Butler, Erika Wünschmann, Arno Armien, Anibal G. Carstensen, Michelle Hildebrand, Erik Moon, Roger D. Gerhold, Richard W., Jr. Emergence of the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern Minnesota, USA |
topic_facet |
Moose (Alces alces) Parelaphostrongylus tenuis Elaeophora schneideri Parasitic infections |
description |
Background Moose (Alces alces) are a culturally and economically valued species in Minnesota. However, the moose population has experienced a sudden, marked decline in their range, including extirpation in the northwest and a 66% decline in the last decade in the northeast portions of the state. Although the exact cause of this decline is unclear, parasitic metastrongylid and filarioid nematode infections are known causes of morbidity and mortality in moose across North America. Methods To determine if these parasitic nematodes could be contributing to the Minnesota moose population decline, we molecularly examined banked tissues obtained from moose that died of known and unknown causes for the presence of nematode DNA. Extracted brain DNA of 34 individual moose was amplified utilizing primers targeting the 18S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer regions of nematodes. Results DNA sequencing revealed that PCR products obtained from 15 (44.1%) of the moose were 99% identical to Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, a metastrongylid known to cause neurological disease and death. Additionally, brain tissue from 20 (58.8%) individuals yielded sequences that most closely aligned with Elaeophora schneideri, a parasite associated with neurological impairment but previously unreported in Minnesota. Setaria yehi, a common filarioid parasite of deer, was also detected in the brain tissue of 5 (14.7%) moose. Molecular screening of 618 captured tabanid flies from four trapping sites revealed E. schneideri was present (6%) in the Minnesota environment and transmission could occur locally. Prevalence rates among the flies ranged between 0–100% per trapping site, with Chrysops spp. and Hybomitra spp. implicated as the vectors. Conclusions Ultimately, these data confirm that P. tenuis is widespread in the Minnesota moose population and raises the question of the significance of E. schneideri as a contributing factor to morbidity and mortality in moose. |
format |
Text |
author |
Grunenwald, Caroline M. Butler, Erika Wünschmann, Arno Armien, Anibal G. Carstensen, Michelle Hildebrand, Erik Moon, Roger D. Gerhold, Richard W., Jr. |
author_facet |
Grunenwald, Caroline M. Butler, Erika Wünschmann, Arno Armien, Anibal G. Carstensen, Michelle Hildebrand, Erik Moon, Roger D. Gerhold, Richard W., Jr. |
author_sort |
Grunenwald, Caroline M. |
title |
Emergence of the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern Minnesota, USA |
title_short |
Emergence of the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern Minnesota, USA |
title_full |
Emergence of the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern Minnesota, USA |
title_fullStr |
Emergence of the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern Minnesota, USA |
title_full_unstemmed |
Emergence of the arterial worm Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern Minnesota, USA |
title_sort |
emergence of the arterial worm elaeophora schneideri in moose (alces alces) and tabanid fly vectors in northeastern minnesota, usa |
publisher |
TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_compmedpubs/119 https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=utk_compmedpubs |
genre |
Alces alces |
genre_facet |
Alces alces |
op_source |
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences |
op_relation |
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_compmedpubs/119 https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=utk_compmedpubs |
_version_ |
1766254437236473856 |