Onchocerca jakutensis (Gubanov, 1964)

Bosch, Felix, Manzanell, Ralph & Mathis, Alexander, 2016, First description of Onchocerca jakutensis (Nematoda: Filarioidea) in red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Switzerland, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 5 (2), pp. 192-197 : 193

3.1. Prevalence of O. jakutensis

Of the 38 artiodactyls from the three species examined, Onchocerca specimens were found only in red deer. In six of the 25 red deer, subcutaneous nodules (n = 13) ( Fig. 1 ) were collected containing female and male or only female O. jakutensis worms as identified by morphological and genetical analyses (prevalence 24%). Up to five nodules were found per deer. Nearly half of the collected adult Onchocerca worms contained granular lumps ( Fig. 2 ) or were in a state of advanced decay to calcification. Microfilariae were observed in eight of ten tissue samples from five red deer from which adult O. jakutensis were recovered from only three.

Figures

Fig. 1. Subcutaneous nodule in red deer skin with partly freed O. jakutensis female (stained with methylene blue). (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 2. Anterior end of O. jakutensis female, with granular lumps in process of degeneration.