342 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES. VOL 20, NO. 4, OCTOBER 1984 stniations on the shell, a!! of which are of the parasite, macrophages, neutrophils characteristic of Capillania hepatica Ban- and lymphocytes. croft, 1893. Most of the findings in the present case On histological examination, the liver agree with those of Ikede and Ajayi (1976, sections from all the affected rats showed op. cit.); however, in addition we detected multifocal granulomatous areas character- adult Capillania sp. in histologic sections ized by the presence of macrophages, of the livers of two rats. None of the wild lymphocytes and plasma cells and associ- rodents with capillariasis showed any vis- ated with fibrous connective tissue prolif- ible ante-mortem clinical signs of disease Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jwd/article-pdf/20/4/342/2230994/0090-3558-20_4_342.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 eration. In some granulomas foreign body even though in some the liver was in- giant cells formed part of the cellular ex- volved extensively. udate. In two cases sections of the liver Voucher specimens have been deposit- showed in addition to the lesions de- ed in the U.S. National Parasite Collection scribed above several cross and tangential (Beltsvi!le, Maryland 20705, USA) and as- sections of adult Capillania sp. and each signed USNM Helm. Co!!. No. 78173. of these was surrounded by numerous eggs Journal of Wildlife DIseases. 20(4), 1984, pp 342-345 © Wildlife Disease Association 1984 Elaeophora schneideri Wehr and Dickmans, 1935 in White-tailed Deer from the Edwards Plateau of Texas Douglas D. Wald, Robert J. Warren, Department of Range and Wildlife Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA; and Danny B. Pence, Department of Pathology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, USA The arterial nematode, Elaeophona white-tailed deer (Foreyt and Foreyt, schneideni, was first reported from white- 1979, J. Wild!. Dis. 15: 55-56), Barbary tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zim- sheep (Ammotrogus lenvia Pallas) (Pence mermann)) in Arizona (Hibler and Ad- and Gray, 1981, J. Wild!. Dis. 17: 49-56), cock, 1968, J. Parasitol. 54: 1095-1098). mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hem- Since then it has been recovered from this ionus (Rafinesque)) (Pence and Gray, host in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and 1981, op. cit.), and sika deer (Cenvus nip- South Carolina (Prestwood and Ridge- pon Temminck) (Robinson et a!., 1978, J. way, 1972, J. Wild!. Dis. 8: 233-236; Hib- Wild!. Dis. 14: 137-141). len and Prestwood, 1981, Filarial nema- Clinical disease due to arterial worm has todes of white-tailed deer, In Diseases and been noted in Barbary sheep and sika deer Parasites of White-tailed Deer, Davidson (Pence and Gray, 1981, op. cit.; Robinson et al. (eds.), Tall Timbers Res. Sta., Tal- et a!., 1978, op. cit.) and white-tailed deer lahassee, Florida, pp. 351-362). In Texas, have been suggested as a reservoir host for E. schneideni has been recovered from the infection in Texas (Robinson et al., 1978, op. cit.). This study was initiated to determine (1) the prevalence of E. schnei- Received for publication 20 February 1984. ‘Present address: School of Forest Resources, Uni- den in white-tailed deer from the Texas versity of Ceorgia, Athens, Ceorgia 30602. Edwards Plateau and (2) the potential for RESEARCH NOTES/CASE REPORTS 343 white-tailed deer to serve as a reservoir of enine wet mounts. Portions of carotid ar- E. schneideri for other sympatnic wild and teries from infected deer were fixed in 10% domestic ruminants in the region. buffered formalin, processed by routine The study area was on the YO Ranch, methods, and stained with hematoxylmn Kerr County, Texas. The 22,400-ha ranch and eosin or Verhoff’s iodine-iron hema- is surrounded by a 2.3-m deer-proof fence. toxylin counterstained with Van Gieson’s Rolling topography with shallow rocky stain. Two similarly fixed 1-cm2 sections soils of limestone origin characterize the of skin from the forehead of three infect- area. Precipitation averages 63.5 cm an- ed deer also were sectioned and stained Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jwd/article-pdf/20/4/342/2230994/0090-3558-20_4_342.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 nually, occurring primarily in May and for routine histologic examination. Rep- September. Woody plant communities are resentative specimens of E. schneideni mixtures of various oaks (Quercus spp.) were deposited in the U.S. National Par- and juniper (Juniperus sp.), with J. ashei asite Collection, Beltsville, Maryland as the dominant woody species. The ranch 20705, USA (Accession No. 77966). is managed for several species of exotic Eight of 89 (9%) deer were infected big game, native game, and domestic live- with E. schneideni. Nematodes were re- stock. White-tailed deer densities average covered from the right external maxillary one per 5 ha. Doe harvest has not been artery and bilaterally from the common practiced since the 1960’s. The free-rang- and external carotid arteries. A single fe- ing deer herd is considered to be in fair male E. schneideni was recovered from to good condition, but it is in competition the coeliac artery in one of these deer. with free-ranging herds of exotic ungu- Fifteen adult nematodes (11 females, 3 lates including sika deer, axis deer (Axis males, 1 unknown gender) were re- axis (Erxleben)), fallow deer (Darna dama covered (1 = 1.9 nematodes per infected L.), Barbary sheep, and blackbuck (An- deer). All nematodes were reproductively tilope cervicapna L.) as well as Angora and mature as determined by the presence of Spanish goats, sheep, and longhorn cattle. microfilariae in females and morphology From August 1981 to August 1982, 89 and size of males (Hibler and Adcock, adult female white-tailed deer were col- 1968, op. cit.). Host age ranged from 15 !ected mostly incidental to other physio- to >96 mo ( = 55) for all deer as deter- logical and parasitological studies (Waid, mined by tooth eruption and wear (Sever- 1983, Physiological indices and food hab- inghaus, 1949, J. Wildl. Manage. 13: 195- its of deer in central Texas, MS. Thesis, 226). Age of infected deer ranged from Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, Texas, 52 42 to >96 mo ( = 61). None of the deer pp.). Approximately 15 does were collect- exhibited clinical evidence of disease. ed every 2-3 mo in six collection periods Lesions attributable to E. schneideni by a single rifle shot to the neck. The heads were found in a single deer that harbored were severed at the level of the first to one adult nematode in the right common third vertebra from 1 to 5 hr post-mortem carotid artery at the bifurcation of the oc- and frozen. The cephalic arterial system cipital and external carotid arteries. There was subsequently examined for adult E. was pronounced thickening and dilatation schneideni and associated lesions. In all of the common carotid artery from ap- hosts, 10 cm or more of the distal portion proximately 20 mm posterior to the junc- of the carotid artery remained and was tion of the external carotid and occipital examined. arteries and rostrally through 40 mm of Nematodes were fixed in glacial acetic the external carotid artery. The external acid, stored in a mixture of 70% ethanol maxillary, occipital, and caudal aunicular and 5% glycerine, and identified in glyc- arteries were affected similarly from their 344 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES. VOL. 20, NO 4, OCTOBER 1984 bifurcation with the external carotid ar- bianus (Richardson)), which are consid- tery rostrally for a distance of 3-10 mm. ered to be the usual hosts for infection The endothelial surface of the affected (Hibler and Prestwood, 1981, op. cit.), arteries was rough with papilliform and further sampling is required to determine villous projections. Histologically, there the true reservoir status of the white-tailed was extensive proliferation of intimal tis- deer from this region. sue consisting of hyperplastic endothelial The arterial lesions described above are cells, inflammatory cells, and a connective similar to those found in Rocky Mountain tissue stroma. Inflammatory infiltrates elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni (Erxleben)) Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jwd/article-pdf/20/4/342/2230994/0090-3558-20_4_342.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 predominantly consisted of neutrophils (Hibler and Adcock, 1971, op cit.). Al- and eosinophils with occasional plasma though thickening of arterial walls and cells, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, and extrav- development of arterial plaques have been asated erythrocytes. Intimal reactions re- reported in experimentally infected white- sulted in approximately 75% occlusion of tailed deer (Titche, 1976, Experimental the lumen of the occipital and caudal au- infections of white-tailed deer with ricular arteries at their bifurcations with Elaeophora schneideni, MS. Thesis, Col- the external carotid artery and 50% occlu- orado St. Univ., Fort Collins, Colorado, 71 sion of the external carotid artery. In the pp.; Titche et a!., 1979, J. Wild!. Dis. 15: tunica media there were areas of focal ne- 273-280), this is the first report of patho- crosis, moderate infiltrations of neutro- logic changes in the arteries of naturally phils, eosinophils and lymphocytes, and infected white-tailed deer. moderate disruption of elastic fibers. The The 9% prevalence of E. schneideni in tunica adventitia was norma! except for a this study is comparable to the 2-30% mild inflammatory infiltrate of neutro- prevalence for white-tailed deer herds phils. from the southeastern United States Microfilariae were not observed in skin (Prestwood and Ridgeway, 1972, op. cit.). from the heads of three of the deer in- However, the actual prevalence in our fected with E. schneideni. Unfortunately, study may have been higher than the ob- additional skin sections were not available served 9% because only the cephalic ar- for examination, nor were attempts made teries were examined.