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Helminth parasites of muskoxen Ovibos moschatus in Norway incl. Spitsbergen and in Sweden, with a synopsis of parasites reported from this host

1983; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Volume: 4; Linguagem: Inglês

10.5324/fn.v4i0.6135

1891-5396

Einar Alendal, Oddvar Helle,

Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

Three species of cestodes and 14 genera of nematodes, with 10 identified species, have been found in muskoxen according to the available literature. The helminths of the present study are from 3 wild muskoxen from Spitsbergen, 3 captive animals from a muskox farm at Bardu in North Norway, 27 wild muskoxen from the Dovrefjell in South Norway, and 2 individuals from a wild population in Härjedalen, Sweden. The cestodes Moniezia expansa and cysticerci of Taenia hydatigena were recorded. Nineteen nematode species were identified of which the following 12 species have not been published from muskoxen before: Chabertia ovina, Cooperia oncophora, Nematodirus filicollis, N. skrjabini, N. spathiger, Ostertagia arctica, O. gruehneri, Teladorsagia davtiani, Trichostrongylus axei, T. capricola, T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus. In addition the caecum nematode Trichuris and larvae of an unidentified species of lungworm (the latter not reported from muskoxen before) were found. Neither helminth species of muskoxen reported in the literature nor those found during the present study are specific for muskoxen; all have also been found in reindeer or domestic ruminants. Apparently muskoxen are easily infected with parasites normally occurring in other ruminant species.