Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Published:

The Prevalence of Elaphostrongylus Cervi Infection in Moose (Alces alces) in Southern Norway

Prevalensen av Elaphostrongylus cervi infeksjon hos elg (Alces alces) i Sør-Norge

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 27, pages 397–409 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

The prevalence of Elaphostrongylus cervi infection in moose shot during the hunting season 1983 in 47 different municipalities in Southern Norway was studied. E. cervi seemed to occur endemically in the population, as infection was found in 35 % of 1,982 moose examined. Diagnosis was made on the basis of the presence of eggs and first-stage larvae (L1) and associated histopathological lesions in the lung, and on the presence of L1 in the faeces. The prevalence varied considerably between different municipalities. No relationship was found between the prevalence of E. cervi and the population density of moose. The highest prevalence was found in municipalities where red deer harbouring E. cervi were also present. The prevalence among males was higher than among females, and that among yearlings higher than among calves and adults. In no case was infection found in animals 51/2 years of age or older. Carcass weight in infected adult moose was significantly lower than in non-infected adults.

Sammendrag

Prevalensen av Elaphostrongylus cervi infeksjon hos elg ble undersøkt hos dyr skutt under jakt høsten 1983 i 47 forskjellige kommuner i Sør-Norge. E. cervi ble påvist hos 35 % av 1.982 undersøkte dyr og ser ut til å forekomme endemisk i elgpopulasjonen. Grunnlaget for diagnosen i denne undersøkelsen er påvisning av egg og førstestadiums larver (L1) av E. cervi og histopatologiske forandringer forårsaket av disse i lungene og påvisning av L1 i avføringsprøver. Prevalensen varierte sterkt fra kommune til kommune. Det ble ikke funnet noen sammenheng mellom prevalens og populasjonstetthet av elg. Høyest prevalens hos elg ble funnet i kommuner der det er hjort som en vet er infisert med E. cervi. Hanndyr hadde høyere prevalens enn hunndyr, uansett alder, og åringer hadde høyere prevalens enn kalver og eldre dyr uansett kjøn. E. cervi ble ikke påvist hos elg som var 51/2 år eller eldre. Slaktevekten var signifikant lavere hos infiserte enn hos ikke infiserte dyr i aldersgruppen over 11/2 år. Den geografiske utbredelsen og den høye prevalensen av E. cervi infeksjon hos elg indikerer at dette ikke er et nyetablert vert / parasitt system. På tross av den påviste negative effekten av denne infeksjonen på dyras slakevekt viser undersøkelsen at parasiten antagelig bare er moderat patogen hos elg.

References

  • Bakken, G. & O, Sparboe: Elaphostrongylose has rein (Elaphostron- gylosis in reindeer). Nord. Vet.-Med. 1973, 25, 203–210.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, T. V. M.: On two new species of nematodes from Scottish red deer. J. Helminthol. 1931, 9, 213–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demidova, N. V. & M. I. Naumytsjeva: A new nematode Varestrongy- lus alces sp. nov. in moose (in Russian). Moskovskij Pushno- Mekhovoj Institut. Trudy. 1953, 4, 303–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudernack, G„ O. Halvorsen, A. Skorping & K. A. Stokkan: Humoral immunity and output of first-stage larvae of Elaphostrongylus rangiferi (Nematoda) in rendieer, Rangifer tarandus. J. Helminthol. 1984, 58, 13–18.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Halvorsen, O. & A. Skorping: The influence of temperature on growth and development of the nematode Elaphostrongylus rangiferi in the gastropods Arianta arbostorum and Euconulus fulvus. Oikos 1982, 38, 285–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halvorsen, P. & K. Wissler: Elaphostrongylus sp. (Nematoda, Proto- strongylidea) and other helminths in faeces of moose (Alces alces L) in North-Norway. Fauna norw. 1983, 4, 37–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helle, O.: Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931 hos hjort (Gervus elaphus) i Norge. (Elaphostrongylus cervi in red deer in Norway). Norsk Vet.-T. 1980, 92, 677–678.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt, G.: Påvisning av elaphostrongylose hos elg i Sør-Norge gir grunn til en viss engstelse. (Demonstration of elaphostrongylosis in moose in South-Norway gives reason for some anxiety). Jakt, fiske og friluftsliv 1982, 9, 33–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kutzer, E. & H. Prosl: Zur Kenntnis von Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931. 1. Morphologie und Diagnose. (The knowledge of Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931. I. Morphology and Diagnosis). Wien, tierärztl. Mschr. 1975, 62, 258–266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lankester, M.V.: Neurological disorders in moose caused by Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931 from caribou. Proc. 31th Ann. North American Moose Conference and Workshop. Jasper, Alberta 1977, p. 177–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lankester, M. V. & T. H. Northcott: Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931 (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea) in caribou (Rangifer ta- ranidus caribou) of New Foundland. Can ad. J. Zool. 1979, 57, 1384–1392.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lubimow, M.P.: New worm diseases of the brain of deer with unossified antlers (in Russian). Sbornik nauchoissledovatel’skikh rabot. Laboratory pantovogo olenvodstva Ministerstva sovkhozov SSSR 1945, 1, 225–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitskevich, W. J.: Studies on the life cycle of the nematode Elaphostrongylus ranigefri sp. nov. in reindeer. Dokl. Akad.nauk. SSSR 1958, 118, 253–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitskevich, W. J.: The development cycle of Elaphostrongylus rangiferi Miz. 1958 (in Russian). Sbornik. „Parazity sei skokhoziastv. Zhivotnykh Kazakhstania” 1964, 3, 59–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munroe, R. & A.R. Hunter: Histopatological findings in the lungs of Scottish red and roe deer. Vet. Rec. 1983, 112, 194–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson, O.: The interrelationships of endo-parasites in wild cervids (Gapreolus capreolus L. and Alces alces L.) and domestic ruminants in Sweden. Acta vet. scand. 1971, 12, 36–68.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ottestad, A.K.: Forekomst av Elaphostrongylus cervi i en populasjon av hjert (Cervus elaphus). (Occurrence of E. cervi in a population of red deer). University of Tromsø, Tromsø 1983, 64 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosl, H. & E, Kutzer: Zur Biologie und Bekämpfung von Elaphostrongylus cervi. (The biology and eradication of Elaphostrongylus cervi). Z. Jagdwisis, 1980, 26, 198–207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pryadko, E.I.: Helminths of cervids. Alma Ata, USSR. Izdatel’stvo Nauka Kazakhskoi 1976, p. 1–224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pryadko, E.I. & S.N. Boev: Systematics, phylogeny and evolution of Elaphostrongylinea — nematodes of deer. Izv. Akad. Nauk. Kaz. SSSR. Ser. Zool. 1971, 3, 74–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimers, E.: Storvilt (Big game animals). Norges jeger og fiskerfor- bund, Landbruksforlaget 1981, p. 109–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimers, E. & Ø. Nordby: Relationship between age and tooth cement turn layers in Norwegian reindeer. J. Wild, Manage. 1968, 32, 322–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wissler, K. & O. Halvorsen: Infection of reindeer with Elaphostrongylus rangiferi (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea) in relation to age and season. Nor. J. Zool. 1976, 24, 462–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Øien, A. Ed. Central Bureau of Statistics of Norway. Hunting Statistics 1981. Oslo 1982.

  • Øien, A.: Ed. Central Bureau of Statistics of Norway. Hunting Statistics 1983. Oslo 1984.

Download references

Acknowledgement

This study was financially supported by the Norwegian Agricultural Research Council and by the Directorate for Nature Management. I thank Professor O. Helle and Dr. G. Holt for essential help and guidance, Dr. B. Gjerde for linguistic advice and P. O. Bjønnes, A. Husdal and B. Øien for technical assistance. Thanks are also due to county wildlife managers, local wildlife authorities and hunters throughout Southern Norway, whose assistance in collecting the material made this study possible.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Veterinary Institute, and the Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Parasitology, Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, P. O. Box 8156, Dep., N-0033, Oslo 1, Norway

    Gudbrand Stuve

Authors
  1. Gudbrand Stuve
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stuve, G. The Prevalence of Elaphostrongylus Cervi Infection in Moose (Alces alces) in Southern Norway. Acta Vet Scand 27, 397–409 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548154

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548154

Keywords

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147