Newton Kingston

Trypanosoma cervi sp. n. from elk (Cervus canadensis) in Wyoming.

Trypanosoma cervi sp. n. is described from 22 trypomastigote syntypes from the blood of elk, Cervus canadensis, in North America (type locality: Wyoming). The blood trypomatigotes of T. cervi are compared with various culture forms: epimastigotes in 22 to 25 C NNN cultures; trypomastigotes in 37 C NNN cultures; and trypomastigotes from CAM chick embryo (10-day) cultures. Trypanosoma cervi is differentiated on morphological grounds from the cosmopolitan bovine species, T. theileri, and from T. ingens and T. mazamarum. Transmission of T. cervi to cattle was attempted using infected elk blood. No trypanosomal stages were recovered when recipients were examined by blood culture. The findings support the morphological data that T. cervi is distinct from T. theileri.

Trypanosoma cervi KINGSTON AND MORTON, 1975 FROM MULE DEER, Odocoileus hemionus, IN WYOMING1 2

Mensural values of blood stream stages and cross-transmission studies defined the trypanosome species from mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, as con-specific with Trypanosoma cervi, the trypanosome found in elk from the same locality. Trypanosomes were found in eight mule deer sampled in the spring and eight sampled in the winter in southeastern Wyoming.

FURTHER STUDIES ON TRYPANOSOMES IN GAME ANIMALS IN WYOMING1 2

Blood samples were collected from captive and free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer, (Odocoileus virginianus), black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), moose (Alces alecs), and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) for cultural evidence of Trypanosoma sp. infection. Eleven of 88 (12%) hunter-killed elk, 22 of 37 (59%) free-ranging elk, and 79 of 119 (66%) captive elk were culture positive in 1973-74. Parasitemia in adult captive elk showed seasonal variation. Other captive or live-trapped animals found positive included 16 mule deer, two white-tailed deer, and one black-tailed deer. No pronghorn, moose, or bighorn sheep were positive. A 0.25 ml inoculum of elk blood was sufficient to give positive culture results. Small sample size may have contributed to negative results from elk trapped in March, 1973.

Trypanosoma cervi from Alaskan reindeer, Rangifer tarandus.

Twenty-nine (64.4%) or 45 reindeer, Rangifer tarandus, examined over a two-year period were infected with trypanosomes. Trypomastigotes and dividing epimastigotes were found in the blood of fawns, cows, and bulls. Morphometric analysis of bloodstream trypomastigotes from reindeer and comparison of these parasites with similar stages of trypanosomes from elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer from the continuous United States proved them conspecific; the trypanosomes from these members of the Cervidae are identified as Trypanosoma cervi Kingston & Morton, 1975. This is the first report of trypanosomes from reindeer. No pathogenic effects are known to be caused by these parasites.

Babesia moshkovskii (SCHURENKOVA, 1938) LAIRD AND LARI, 1957; FROM THE PRAIRIE FALCON, Falco mexicanus, IN WYOMING; WITH COMMENTS ON OTHER PARASITES FOUND IN THIS HOST1

Babesia moshkovskii*† was found in the blood of 6 of 30 downy (D) Prairie Falcons and in none of 5 adults (A) from Wyoming. Intestinal parasites included Neodiplostomum (C.) spathula*† (A,3), Cladotaenia globifera*, (A,1), Physaloptera sp.†, (A,1), and Serratospiculum amaculatum†, (A,4). Omithodorus concanensis, (D,3), Thrassis francisi*, (D,1), Opisocrostis sp*, (D.1), Degeeriella rufa, (D,2), Simulium (E.) canonicola*† (D,2), and an unidentified hippoboscid fly*, (D,2) were external parasites. It is considered that the soft tick, O. concanensis, is the most likely vector of the hematozoon. The morphological forms of B. moshkovskii are described and discussed. This is the first report of an avian babesoid on this continent. (*new host record, †new distribution record).

TRYPANOSOMES FROM MULE DEER, Odocoileus hemionus, IN WYOMING1 2

Examination of mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, from Wyoming in Spring, 1974 (8) and in Winter of 1974-75 (8) revealed trypanosomes in all 16 deer. Spring samples showed dividing epimastigotes as well as normal bloodstream forms. Winter samples showed only normal bloodstream forms. These differences are considered to be seasonally related.

Cercaria laramiensis sp. n., a freshwater zygocercous cercaria from Physa gyrina Say, with a discussion of cercarial aggregation.

Cercaria laramiensis sp. n., the first strigeoid aggregating (= zygocercous) cercaria, is reported from Physa gyrina Say obtained from a runoff pond of the Big Laramie River in Laramie, Wyoming. Consideration of other known species of zygocercous cercariae lends support to the hypothesis that aggregation is a secondary specialization which has evolved independently at least 5 times in the Digenea. Little is known concerning that artificial group of cercariae called in the literature Rattenkonig cercariae, Zygocercariae, or Aggregacercariae. They aggregate to form clusters or rosettes soon after emerging from the molluscan host. Claus (1880) first observed this type of behavior in marine cercariae collected near Naples, Italy. Monticelli (1888) later observed the same species and named it Cercaria clausii. Pintner (1892) extended its description and found the host to be the cowrie, Trivia europaea, in the Adriatic Sea. Cable and McLean (1943) reported C. clausii from the marine prosobranch gastropod Lamellaria leucosphaera collected off Red Fish Pass, Captive Island, Florida. Miller (1929) reported aggregating behavior in marine cercariae designated as Cercaria W collected from the snail Cerithium litteratum from Tortugas. Martin and Gregory (1951) described an aggregating species, Cercaria buchanani, from Cerithidea califormica collected at Playa del Rey, California. Cable (1956) described aggregating behavior in Cercaria caribbea XVI from the marine snail Cerithium algicola collected off Punta Arenas near Joyuda, Puerto Rico. In 1963 he described a second aggregating species from the Caribbean region, Cercaria caribbea LXX, from Cerithium litteratum collected near Awa di Oostpunt, Curacao. The only previously described freshwater zygocercous cercaria is Cercaria gorgonocephala Ward, 1916. Ward described this species from a single colony Received for publication 1 April 1974. * Published with the approval of the Director, Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agriculture, University of Wyoming, as JA 635. This study was supported in part by Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Project, Wyoming FW-3-R. taken in a plankton net from Lake Erie near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Williams (1931) extended the description of C. gorgonocephala and found the molluscan host to be a species of Goniobasis in Lake Erie. Dronen (1973) reported C. gorgonocephala from Goniobasis livescens at Douglas Lake, Michigan. He demonstrated that cyprinid fishes of the genera Fundulus, Notropis, and Notemigonus could serve as second intermediate hosts by ingesting cercarial

MALARIA IN A CAPTIVELY-PRODUCED F1 GYRFALCON AND IN TWO F1 PEREGRINE FALCONS1

One Falco rusticolus and two of 24 Falco peregrinus were positive for Plasmodium relictum. Sixteen percent of the erythrocytes (RBC) of the gyrfalcon were parasitized. Following treatment with chloroquine the parasite burden was dramatically reduced (to less than 0.01%). Infection in peregrine falcons was low (0.01–0.4% RBCs were parasitized). This is the second report of Plasmodium in the gyrfalcon and the first report in the peregrine falcon.

TWO SPECIES OF ENTAMOEBA FROM WHITE-TAILED DEER, ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS, FROM GEORGIA*

Large numbers of 2 species of Entamoeba, Entamoeba coli and Entamoeba bovis, were recovered from captive white-tailed deer from Georgia. The trophozoite of the first ameba was a large form with a well-defined vesicular nucleus bearing a prominent eccentric endosome, abundant peripheral chromatin, and numerous periendosomal granules. Cytoplasmic vacuoles containing bacteria and other substances were common. Mature cysts were octonucleate. Glycogen vacuoles and irregularly shaped chromatoids were frequently present. This ameba was identified as Entamoeba coli. The trophozoite of the second ameba was small, with a typical Entamoeba nucleus. Cysts were uninucleate, containing numerous chromatoids resembling bars, splinters of wood, and irregular masses. There was occasionally a glycogen vacuole. This ameba was identified as Entamoeba bovis.

INVASIVE ENTAMOEBAE IN PRONGHORN (ANTILOCAPRA AMERICANA) FROM WYOMING

Trophozoites and cysts of an amoeba resembling Entamoeba bovis were recovered from soft stools of captive pronghorn fawns (Antilocapra americana). Chronic or intermittent diarrhea was observed in most individuals in two groups of hand-raised 1- to 8-mo-old pronghorns. Ileocecal lymph nodes were mildly to moderately enlarged. Microscopic lesions were characterized by lymphoid hyperplasia, focal necrosis and pyogranulomatous inflammation in lymph nodes and focal necrosis and diffuse nonsuppurative enteritis in ileum and cecum. In 12 of 17 fawns, trophic stages of amoebae were observed in the submucosa of the cecum and/or the cortex of the ileocecal lymph node. This is the first report of E. bovis-like organisms invading and causing pathological changes in the tissues of their host.