Between November 2000 and November 2005, approximately 200 mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from western Nebraska were extensively examined for the presence of Elaeophora schneideri, Wehr and Dikmans, 1935; three adult E. schneideri were detected from three mule deer. This represents the first documented occurrence of E. schneideri from wild deer in Nebraska

McKnown, R. D.

Oates, D. W.

Sterner, M. C.

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of 2007 First Observation of Elaeophora schneideri Wehr and Dikmans, 1935 (Nematoda:Filariidae) in Mule Deer from Nebraska R. D. McKnown Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center M. C. Sterner University of Nebraska-Lincoln D. W. Oates Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs  Part of the Parasitology Commons McKnown, R. D.; Sterner, M. C.; and Oates, D. W., "First Observation of Elaeophora schneideri Wehr and Dikmans, 1935 (Nematoda:Filariidae) in Mule Deer from Nebraska" (2007). Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology. 676. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs/676 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 43(1), 2007, pp. 142–144# Wildlife Disease Association 2007First Observation of Elaeophora schneideri Wehr and Dikmans, 1935(Nematoda:Filariidae) in Mule Deer from NebraskaR. D. McKown,1 M. C. Sterner,2 and D. W. Oates3,4 1 Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center, Clay Center,Nebraska 68933, USA; 2 Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska68588-0514, USA; 3 Genetics and Forensics Analysis Laboratory, Wildlife Research Section, Nebraska Gameand Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska 68503-0370, USA; 4 Corresponding author (email: dave.oates@ngpc.ne.gov)ABSTRACT: Between November 2000 and No-vember 2005, approximately 200 mule deer(Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fromwestern Nebraska were extensively examinedfor the presence of Elaeophora schneideri,Wehr and Dikmans, 1935; three adult E.schneideri were detected from three muledeer. This represents the first documentedoccurrence of E. schneideri from wild deer inNebraska.Key words: Elaeophora schneideri, muledeer, Nebraska, Odocoileus hemionus hemionus.Elaeophora schneideri (Nematoda: Fi-lariidae) was first described by Wehr andDikmans (1935) in domestic sheep (Ovisaries) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemi-onus hemionus) from New Mexico, andhas been reported subsequently fromseven Western states: Arizona (Hiblerand Adcock, 1968), California (Weinmannet al., 1973), Colorado (Madden, et al.,1991), Montana (Worley, 1975), Texas(Waid et al., 1984), Utah (Jensen et al.,1982), and Wyoming (Abdelbaki, 1975). Inaddition, it has also been reported fromthree Southeastern states: Georgia, Flor-ida, and South Carolina (Couvillion et al.,1984) as well as from British Columbia inCanada (Cowan, 1946). The list of natu-rally occurring definitive hosts has alsobeen expanded to include other wild,domestic, and exotic ruminant species.Comprehensive reviews of the affectedhosts, associated pathology, and inter-mediates of this parasite in North Americahave been published by Hibler and Ad-cock (1968), Hibler and Prestwood (1981),Pence (1991), and Anderson (2001).The only existing reference to thisparasite being found in the state ofNebraska is that of Smith et al. (1954)describing ‘‘sore head’’ or filarial dermati-tis in a flock of domestic sheep nearPender, Nebraska, on the Omaha IndianReservation in the northeastern corner ofthe state. However, as stated by theauthors, because of the common practiceof transporting livestock from state tostate, it is sometimes difficult to determinewhere animals originated. This may be thecase with this particular band of sheep.Consequently, although clinical signs ofthe infection occurred while the sheepwere in Nebraska, they may very well haveacquired the infection elsewhere. Not-withstanding the finding of filarial derma-titis in these sheep, there have been noother reports of E. schneideri in eitherwild or domestic ruminants from Ne-braska, but E. schneideri has been re-ported from the neighboring states ofColorado and Wyoming.During the 2000 Nebraska deer season,heads from carcasses of hunter-killedmule and white-tailed deer (Odocoileusvirginianus) were taken to a meat-proces-sing facility in southeastern Nebraska(Clay County) and examined for parasites.Of the 11 mule deer examined, two maleswere found to be positive, one with twoand the other with three adult E. schnei-deri in the carotid arteries. Unfortunately,the exact locations of where these deerwere harvested are not known because thestate deer seal was not present on eitherhead. Therefore, although it is likely, theauthors could not be sure that these deerwere harvested within the state of Ne-braska.As a result of the above findings, furtherefforts were initiated during a cullingeffort undertaken by the Nebraska Game142and Parks Commission (NGPC) to mon-itor chronic wasting disease (CWD), toexamine these deer for the presence of E.schneideri. During two culling attempts inthe spring of 2001, one from 5 March to 7March and another from 23 April to 25April, a total of 104 deer (90 mule deerand 14 white-tailed deer) were harvestedby NGPC personnel. Both carotid arterieswere removed from these deer andexamined for the presence of E. schnei-deri. All deer were negative. During the2001 firearm season, an additional 804hunter-killed white-tailed and mule deerheads were collected for CWD surveil-lance in the western Nebraska panhandle.Although these animals were not specifi-cally examined for E. schneideri, bychance a nematode was seen and removedfrom the cut end of one carotid artery ofa mule deer and was later positivelyidentified as an adult E. schneideri. Thevoucher specimen has been deposited inthe Harold W. Manter Laboratory(HWML) of Parasitology, University ofNebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska (AccessionNumber HWML 16613). This mule deerwas collected from Sioux County, Ne-braska, approximately one-half mile fromthe South Dakota border.In 2002, the NGPC culled deer and elkin a high fenced-in enclosure on a privateranch in Sioux County. It was also decidedto remove as many deer as possible withina 3- to 5-square-mile area surrounding theenclosure. In total, 79 deer, both white-tailed and mule deer, were taken. All ofthe carotids were removed and examinedfor the presence of E. schneideri. A singlemule deer from outside the pen was foundto be positive. In 2005, 20 hunter-harvested mule deer from western Ne-braska had carotids removed and exam-ined. Out of this group, one deer fromSheridan County was positive for E.schneideri.To date, a total of three mule deerharvested in the Nebraska panhandle havebeen positive for E. schneideri. Two ofthese deer are from Sioux County, and theother deer is from Sheridan County,Nebraska. The life cycle of E. schneiderirequires tabanid flies to serve as interme-diate hosts. Of the 46 tabanid speciesreported to be present in Nebraska (Wehr,1922; Burcham, 1951), four have beenshown to be suitable intermediate hosts inother states: Silvius quadrivittatus in NewMexico (Clark and Hibler, 1973); Tabanuspunctifer and Tabanus stonei, also in NewMexico (Davies, 1979); and Tabanus line-ola in South Carolina (Couvillion et al.1984). At this time, the vectors inNebraska are unknown.Sequential studies should be consideredto determine the parasite’s prevalence anddistribution within the state. Secondly,tabanids that may serve as intermediatehosts for E. schneideri in Nebraska shouldbe identified. Consequently, NGPC, ran-chers, farmers, and the hunting publicshould be made aware of the presence ofthe parasite in the native deer populationand determine what, if any, effect itspresence will have on wildlife and domes-tic populations within the state.LITERATURE CITEDABDELBAKI, Y. Z. 1975. Angiographic studies of thecarotid arteries in animals infected with Elaeo-phora schneideri. Colorado-Wyoming Academyof Science Journal 7: 38.ANDERSON, R. C. 2001. Filariid nematodes. InParasitic diseases of wild mammals, 2nd Edition,W. M. Samuel, M. J. Pybus and A. A. Kocan(eds.). Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa,pp. 342–356.BURCHAM, E. G. 1951. Tabanidae of Nebraska. MSThesis, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Ne-braska, 68 pp.CLARK, G. G., AND C. P. HIBLER. 1973. Horse fliesand Elaeophora schneideri in the Gila NationalForest, New Mexico. Journal of Wildlife Dis-eases 9: 21–25.COWAN, I. M. 1946. Parasites, diseases and anomaliesof the Columbia black-tailed deer (Odocoileushemionus columbianus) (Richardson) in BritishColumbia. Canadian Journal of Research 24:71–103.COUVILLION, C. E., D. C. SHEPARD, V. F. NETTLES,AND O. M. BANNAGA. 1984. Intermediate hosts ofElaeophora schneideri Wehr and Dikmans,1935, on South Island, South Carolina. Journalof Wildlife Diseases 20: 59–61.SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 143DAVIES, R. B. 1979. The ecology of Elaeophoraschneideri in Vermejo Park, New Mexico. PhDDissertation, Colorado State University, FortCollins, Colorado, 216 pp.HIBLER, C. P., AND J. L. ADCOCK. 1968. Redescriptionof Elaeophora schneideri Wehr and Dikmans,1935 (Nematoda: Filariidae). Journal of Parasi-tology 54: 1095–1098.———, AND A. K. PRESTWOOD. 1981. Filarialnematode of white-tailed deer. In Diseases andparasites of white-tailed deer, W. R. Davidson,F. A. Hayes, V. F. Nettles and F. E. Kellogg(eds.). Miscellaneous publications, Tall TimbersResearch Station, Tallahassee, Florida, pp. 351–362.JENSEN, L. A., J. C. PEDERSON, AND F. L. ANDERSON.1982. Prevalence of Elaeophora schneideri andOnchocerca cervipedis in mule deer from Utah.Great Plains Naturalist 42: 351–352.MADDEN, D. J., T. R. SPRAKER, AND W. J. ADRIAN.1991. Elaeophora schneideri in moose (Alcesalces) from Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Dis-eases 27: 340–341.PENCE, D. B. 1991. Elaeophorosis in wild ruminants.Bulletin of the Society for Vector Ecology 16:149–160.SMITH, H. C., V. E. LOVELL, AND R. F. REPPERT. 1954.Filarial dermatitis of sheep. North AmericanVeterinarian 35: 588–589.WAID, D. D., R. L. WARREN, AND D. B. PENCE. 1984.Elaeophora schneideri (Wehr and Dikmans,1935) in white-tailed deer from the EdwardsPlateau of Texas. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 20:342–345.WEHR, E. E. 1922. A synopsis of the Tabanidae ofNebraska, with a description of a new speciesfrom Colorado. University Studies 22: 107–118.———, AND G. DIKMANS. 1935. New nematodes(Filariidae) from North American ruminants.Zoological Anzeiger 110: 202–208.WEINMANN, C. J., J. R. ANDERSON, W. M. LONGHURST,AND G. CONNOLLY. 1973. Filarial worms ofColumbian black-tailed deer in California: 1.Observations in the vertebrate host. Journal ofWildlife Diseases 9: 213–230.WORLEY, D. E. 1975. Observations on epizootiologyand distribution of Elaeophora schneideri inMontana ruminants. Journal of Wildlife Diseases11: 486–488.Received for publication 12 May 2003.144 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES, VOL. 43, NO. 1, JANUARY 2007

First Observation of \u3ci\u3eElaeophora schneideri\u3c/i\u3e Wehr and Dikmans, 1935 (Nematoda:\u3ci\u3eFilariidae\u3c/i\u3e) in Mule Deer from Nebraska

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First Observation of \u3ci\u3eElaeophora schneideri\u3c/i\u3e Wehr and Dikmans, 1935 (Nematoda:\u3ci\u3eFilariidae\u3c/i\u3e) in Mule Deer from Nebraska

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