Toxascaris Leonina (Nematoda: Ascarididae) from the Pronghorn Antelope, Antilocapra Americana, in Wyoming

142 PROCEEDINGS OF THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY for identification of the lice. Supported in part Florida Pittman-Robertson Project W-41. Flor- by grant number 1270-G from the Florida Game ida Agricultural Experiment Stations Journal Se- and Fresh Water Fish Commission. A contri- ries No. 5633. bution of Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration,

Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 52(1), 1985, pp. 142-143

Research Note Toxascaris leonina (Nematoda: Ascarididae) from the Pronghorn Antelope, Antilocapra americana, in Wyoming

R. C. BERGSTROM,1 N. KINGSTON,1 AND J. R. TALBOTT2

1 Division of Microbiology and Veterinary Medicine, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071 and 2 Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, Warden, Kaycee, Wyoming

Although the genera Toxocara Stiles, 1905 and Lengths of the female and male worms were near Toxascaris Leiper, 1907 are common in canines the middle of the range of Toxascaris as given and felines, only occasionally are they found in by Levine, 1980 (Nematode Parasites of Do- ruminants or other artiodactylids. John R. Tal- mestic Animals and of Man. Burgess Publishing bott, Game Warden, Wyoming Game and Fish Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota). However, the Commission, Lusk, Wyoming, killed a doe widths of both the female and male worms were pronghorn antelope, Antilocapra americana less than those given by Levine and other au- (Ord), in Niobrara County, Wyoming, Novem- thors. Most female worms had no eggs in the ber 3, 1981 because the animal was weak and uteri so there may be some question whether probably would have died within a short time. the females ever would have produced viable While completing a postmortem examination of ova. Dr. J. Ralph Lichtenfels, Animal Parasi- the doe, the warden noted a poor body condition, tology Institute, Agricultural Research Service, deterioration of bone marrow, and emaciation. USDA, Beltsville, Maryland, confirmed our Nematode worms were present in the posterior identification of the ascarids as Toxascaris leon- portion of the small intestine. He collected nearly ina (Linstow, 1902) Leiper, 1907. Lichtenfels a dozen live nematodes, put them in ethanol, noted that no previous record exists of Toxas- and submitted them to Dr. E. Tom Thorne, caris sp. in pronghorn antelope or in any other Wildlife Research Veterinarian with the Wyo- ruminant in the United States. ming Game and Fish Dept, Research Labora- Recent literature indicates that Ascaris suum tory, University of Wyoming, Laramie. Dr. Goeze, 1782 and Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) Thorne relayed the worms to two of us (R.C.B. Stiles, 1905 will infect domestic cattle (calves) and N.K.). The nematodes appeared to be of causing extensive pulmonary lesions (Greenway normal color and morphology. Female worms and McGraw, 1970, Can. J. Comp. Med. 34(3): ranged from 4.5-6.0 cm in length and were 0.8- 227-237) and that Toxocara cati (Schrank, 1788) 1.2 mm in width at midbody. Lengths of male Brumpt, 1927=7". mystax (Zeder, 1800) has been worms ranged from 3.4 to 3.7 cm and measured found in an equine host in northern Iran (Mir- 0.7-0.9 mm at greatest width. Cervical alae were zayans, 1973, Vet. Rec. 92:262, letter). Grinberg typical of nemas of the Toxascaris-Toxocara (1961, Med. Parazitol. Moskva 30.626: English genera in the family Ascarididae Baird, 1853. trans. #568, U.S. Namru 3) found an abscess Nematodes of this group can be separated by the containing about 100 adult Toxascaris leonina fact that Toxascaris spp. (Ascaridinae) have a in a male human in the U.S.S.R. Since Toxocara simple esophagus without a ventriculus, but vitulorum (Goeze, 1782) Warren, 1971 (syn. Toxocara spp. (Toxocarinae) have a ventriculus. Neoascaris vitulorum) occurs in the small intes-

tine of bovids in many parts of the world (Souls- One male and two female specimens have been by, 1982, Helminths, Arthropods and Protozoa deposited in the U.S. National Parasite Collec- of Domesticated Animals, 7th ed. Lea and Fe- tion, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 as biger, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, p. 155), per- USDA Helm. Coll. No. 69448. haps the genera Toxocara-Toxascaris may infect ruminants more commonly than previously sur- mised.

Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 52(1), 1985, p. 143

Research Note

A Trypanosome in Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus, in Southern Poland1

NEWTON KINGSTON2'3 AND BOLESEAW BoBEK4 2 W. Stefanski Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-973 Warszawa, ul. L. Pasteura 3 Skr. p. 153, Poland and 4 Jagiellonian University, Institute of Biology, 30-060 Krakow, ul. M. Karasia 6, Poland

Eight roe bucks (Capreolus capreolus, 1-8 yr Blackwell), and bearing a short free flagellum at of age, weights 14-20 kg), culled as part of a the anterior end. It was not possible to photo- management program during rut in August 1984 graph and analyze these trypanosomes at the time. in Puszcza Niepotomicka near Krakow, Poland, Species identification must await further discov- were examined for bloodstream hemoflagellates ery, examination, and analysis of more blood- by direct examination of heparinized blood in stream stages on microscope slides. For un- microhematocrit tubes (DE, ca. 0.05-0.07 ml of known reasons no trypanosomes were recovered blood) and by blood culture in veal infusion me- from any cultures of roe deer blood samples. dium (VIM, ca. 10 ml of blood). Trypanosomes Trypanosomatids have been reported from roe seen by DE were transferred to microscope slides deer by Knuth (1909, Zeits. Infekt. Haust. 6:357- and conventional thin blood films prepared, air 362), who found a species of Herpetomonas in dried, fixed in methanol, and stained with Giem- this host in Germany, and by Friedhoff et al. sa's stain (Matthews et al., 1977, J. Wildl. Dis. (1984, Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. A 256:286-287) who found 13:33-39). Cultures were examined 1-2 wk after 10 of 27 roe deer near Hannover, Federal Re- inoculation. public of Germany, infected by using culture Seven of the eight roe deer (88%) were positive (NNN and NCTC media) techniques. These au- by DE and examination of some of the parasites thors speculate that the species in these deer is on slides indicates that these parasites were Try- Trypanosoma cervi Kingston and Morton, 1975 panosoma (Megatrypanum) sp. characterized by (J. Parasitol. 61:17-23), but they have no evi- their large size, typical long posterior end with dence for this assertion inasmuch as they have the kinetoplast distant from the posterior end seen only culture forms. Wroblewski (1908, Cbl. (Hoare, 1972, The Trypanosomes of Mammals, Bakteriol. 1 Abt. Orig. BD. XLVIII. Heft. 2:162- 163) reported on the presence of Trypanosoma iheileri in the wisent (European bison, Bison bon- asus) in Puszcza Biatowieska, in eastern Poland, 1 Research sponsored by the U.S. National Academy but his material was also derived from culture. of Sciences-Polish Academy of Sciences Scientific Ex- It is unlikely that the parasite in the roe deer is change Program, 1984. T. theileri as that species appears highly host 3 Permanent address: Division of Microbiology and Veterinary Medicine, Box 3354, University Station, specific (Hoare, 1972, op. cit.). University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, This is a first report of a species of Trypano- USA. soma from roe deer in Poland.