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1 April 1992 EXPERIMENTAL FASCIOLOIDES MAGNA INFECTIONS OF MULE DEER (ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS HEMIONUS)
William J. Foreyt
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Abstract

Six mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and one white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), approximately 5-mo-old, each were inoculated orally with 500 metacercariae of Fascioloides magna. All mule deer died from liver fluke infection between 69 and 134 days (mean =114, SE = 9.9) after inoculation. Between 38 and 326 immature F. magna (mean =102, SE =45.5) were recovered from each deer at necropsy. Flukes were present in livers, lungs, and free in pleural and peritoneal spaces. Infection was characterized by necrotizing hepatitis, fibrosing peritonitis and pleuritis, and hematin pigment accumulation in liver, lung, and many other internal organs. Eggs of F. magna first were detected in feces of the white-tailed deer 28 wk after inoculation, and weekly thereafter until the healthy deer was euthanized at 31 wk. At necropsy, 205 F. magna, including 12 encapsulated mature and 193 nonencapsulated immature flukes were recovered from liver, lungs, and free in abdominal and thoracic spaces of the white-tailed deer. Based on these results, F. magna may be fatal to mule deer within 5 mo of infection. Like domestic sheep and goats, mule deer may be highly susceptible to infection, and it is unlikely mule deer can survive infection with large numbers of F. magna.

Foreyt: EXPERIMENTAL FASCIOLOIDES MAGNA INFECTIONS OF MULE DEER (ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS HEMIONUS)
William J. Foreyt "EXPERIMENTAL FASCIOLOIDES MAGNA INFECTIONS OF MULE DEER (ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS HEMIONUS)," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 28(2), 183-187, (1 April 1992). https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-28.2.183
Received: 8 July 1991; Published: 1 April 1992
KEYWORDS
experimental infection
Fascioloides magna
liver flukes
Odocoileus hemionus hemionus
Odocoileus virginianus
trematode
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