Nikander, S.

Rangifer

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S. Nikander

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Paper presented at T h e Firs t A r c t i c Ungula te Conference , N u u k , Greenland, 3-8 September, 1991. Expanded abstract Paramphistomosis of reindeer in Finland S. Nikander, L a b o r a t o r y of Parasitology, Col lege of Veter inary M e d i c i n e , B o x 6, 00581 H e l s i n k i , F i n l a n d . Rangifer, 12 (3): 187-189 A large number of trematodes of the family Pa-ramphistomidae have been described f r o m do-mestic and w i l d animals, but the informat ion about the taxonomy and morphology of these flukes f r o m reindeer is sparse. In the literature available Winogradowa (1932) mentioned that at autopsy of one reindeer i n M a r c h and an-other i n A p r i l flukes (Paramphistomum cervi) were found o n the inner w a l l of the rumen. N i -kolaevski (1953), M i s k e v i c h (1967), Sey (1980) and Dieter ich (1981) have also described P. cervi as a parasite of the reindeer. B e y o n d these taxo-nomic notes, there is no informat ion available about the patho-morphological changes caused by the rumen-flukes in reindeer. Material and methods The material originated f r o m reindeer in E n o n -tekio, Kaamanen, Vuotso and Savukoski i n the F i n n i s h Lapland. It was collected during calf mark ing in summer and the slaughter period i n the winter. All together hundreds of rumen-flu-kes were examined morphological ly , measured and weighed. Light- and electron microscopy were used for the morphological studies. Results The specimens collected in the summer were o n the average 9.2 m m long and 3.4 m m wide w i t h a dry weight of 0.330 g of 50 flukes. Espe-cially around the anterior end the surface was ful l of papillae (Fig. 1). The testes were lobula-ted and the uterus was fu l l of eggs. In the w i n -ter the flukes were smaller, on an average 4.9 m m long and 2.2 m m wide. The dry weight of 50 individuals was 0.123 g. The surface was rat-her smooth, (Fig. 2) the testes rounded and no eggs were seen i n the uterus. F o r the identification of the flukes the mor-phology (type) of the pharynx, the acetabulum and the genital opening were determined. A c -cording to the Nasmark (1937) identification system the pharynx was of the Liorchis type (Fig. 3A) w i t h a characteristic f r o m , musculatu-re and w i t h the anterior half covered w i t h pa-pillae projecting f r o m the walls (arrow). The ge-nital opening was of the Leydeni type (described by Eduardo, 1982) (Fig. 3B). The acetabulum was of the Paramphistomum type (Fig. 4C) w i t h a typical number of circular muscle bundles and units. The morphology of these flukes was al-most i n accordance w i t h the description of Pa-ramphistomum leydeni by Eduardo (1982). Thus , it sti l l is questionable if P. leydeni is a w e l l esta-blished s y n o n y m to P. cervi (Odenig, 1983). Pathological changes The adult flukes caused atrophy of the papillae on the rumino-reticular fo ld by attaching w i t h the acetabulum (Fig. 5). The epithelium of the affected club-shaped vil lus w a s hypertrophic and subepithelially there was an accumulation Rangifer, 12 (3), 1992 187 gËÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ F i g . 1. Paramphistomum leydeni i n summer . P h a r y n x ( A ) , genital opening (B) and acetabulum (C) . N o t e the anterior end cowered w i t h papillae. F i g . 2. P. leydeni i n winter . N o t e the different scales i n f ig . 1 and 2. F i g . 3. M e d i a n section of the p h a r y n x (A) w i t h papillae (arrow) and the genital opening (B) of the f luke . F i g . 4. M e d i a n section of the acetabulum (C) . of inf lammatory cells, especially mast cells. In summers w i t h great losses (40 %) of reindeer calves, cl inical signs as hemmorrhagic diarrhoea have been noted, but the significance of Pa-ramphistomes has not been fu l ly elucidated. 188 Conclusion There is an age-seasonal variation affecting the morphology of the rumen-fluke of the reindeer i n F in land . The rumen-fluke has been identified as Paramphistomum leydeni. Pathological chang-Rangifer, 12(3), 1992 F i g . 5. L o n g i t u d i n a l section of the f luke and club-shaped papi l la (A) of the r u m e n . es caused by the adult flukes have been noted i n the epithel ium of the rumen, but hemorrha-gic duodenitis caused by the migrating flukes has not been diagnosed i n reindeer calves i n F i n l a n d . References Dieterich, R. A . 1981. Alaskan wildlife diseases. U n i -versity of A l a s k a , Fairbanks . Eduardo, S. L. 1982. The t a x o n o m y of the f a m i l y Paramphistomidae Fischoeder, 1901 w i t h special re-ference to the m o r p h o l o g y of species occurr ing i n ruminants . II. Rev is ion of the genus Paramphis tom-u m Fischoeder, 1901. - Systematic Parasitology. 4: 189-238. Miskevich, V. Y. 1967. Helminths of reindeer and the diseases caused by them. I'zdatelstvo «Kolos», L e n i n -grad. 308 p p . Nikolaevski, L. D. 1953. P a r a m p h i s t o m u m cervi i n reindeer. - Veterinariya 30: 29. Odenig, K. 1983. Was ist P a r a m p h i s t o m u m cervi? -Angew. Parasitol. 24: 205-216. Sey, O. 1980. R e v i s i o n of the amphistomes of E u r o -pean ruminants . - Parasitol. Hungar. 13: 13-25. Winogradowa, T. 1932. Tr ichocephalus affinis u n d P a r a m p h i s t o m u m cervi i m Renntiere (Rangifer ta-randus). - Z. f Parasitenkunde 5: 80-84. Manuscript accepted 17 May, 1992. Rangifer, 12 (3), 1992 189 

Paramphistomosis of reindeer in Finland

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