Parelaphostrongylus tenuis (Nematoda) in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Central Iowa

Abstract

Heads of hunter-killed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were obtained from a tri-county area in central Iowa in December 1991 and examined for the presence of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis (Dougherty, 1945). Adults of P. tenuis were found in 45% of 42 deer heads; the mean intensity of infection was 3.6 (range: 1-16). Prevalence of infection was significantly greater in female deer > 13 mo of age in comparison to males of similar age (54 vs. 17%). Mean intensity of infection was significantly greater in deer > 13 mo of age than in younger deer (4.4 vs. 1.2 nematodes/head). Both prevalence and intensity of P. tenuis infection in deer in Iowa were comparable to levels reported elsewhere in the United States and Canada. These results further define the distribution of P. tenuis and suggest that susceptible hosts sharing habitat with white-tailed deer in Iowa are at risk of infection with this parasite.