Parelaphostrongylus tenuis

 

Contents

 

Rev 03/25/2024

Brainworm, Meningeal Worm Classification Biology and Ecology
Morphology and Anatomy Life Cycle
Return to Parelaphostrongylus Menu   Ecosystem Functions and Services
Distribution Management
Return to Protostrongylidae Menu Feeding  References
    Go to Nemaplex Main Menu   Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Chromadorea

  Rhabditia

    Rhabditida

      Metarongyloidea

        Protostrongylidae

       
Parelaphostrongylus tenuis
    
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Morphology and Anatomy:

   
   





Males:
 

 

Female:  

 

 


Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

 

 
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Distribution:

Parassite of ungulates in eastern and cemtral North America. Northward expansion of its range has occurred during the last 50 years. Increase in the range is expected with climate change (Garwood et al., 2024).

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Feeding:

  Parasite of the nervous system of ruminants. Cause direct damage and/or indirect due to inflammatory response of host tissues.

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Biology and Ecology:

Infections of the meningeal worm, Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, cause morbidity and mortality in many wild and domestic ungulate species.

 In North America, P. tenuis has already expanded its range northward in the last 50 years, affecting the persistence and management of wildlife and domestic species (Pickles et al., 2013).

Parelaphostrongylus tenuis is a major factor in moose population decline in the north-central United States and south-central Canada (Carstensen et al., 2017) and impedes translocations and reintroductions of caribou (Vors and Boyce, 2009), mule deer (Oates et al., 2000), and elk (Samuel et al., 1992). It also causes neurological symptoms and mortality in several domestic ungulates (Garwood et al., 2024)

 

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Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this species, click If species level data are not available, click for genus level parameters

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

 

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Management:

 

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References:

Carstensen, M., Hildebrand, E. C., Plattner, D., Dexter, M., St-Louis, V., Jennelle, C., and Wright, R. G. 2017. Determining cause-specific mortality of adult moose in northeast Minnesota, February 2013-July 2017. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Dougherty, E.C., Goble, F.C.  1946. The Genus Protostrongylus Kamenskii, 1905 (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae), and Its Relatives: Preliminary Note. J. Parasitol. 32:7-16.

Garwood, T.J., Richards, J.E., Machietto, M.G., Gerrhold, R.W., Karia, S.A. et al. 2024. A de novo whole genome assembly and annotation of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis. J. Nematology 56: DOI: 10.2478/jofnem-2024-0009

Oates, D. W., Sterner, M. C., and Boyd, E. 2000. Meningeal worm in deer from western Nebraska. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 36:370-373.

Pickles, R. S. A., Thornton, D., Feldman, R., Marques, A., and Murray, D. L. 2013. Predicting shifts in parasite distribution with climate change: A multitrophic level approach. Global Change Biology19:2645-2654

Samuel, W. M., Pybus, M. J., Welch, D. A., and Wilke, C. J. 1992. Elk as a potential host for meningeal worm: Implications for translocation. Journal of Wildlife Management 56:629-639.

Vors, L. S. and Boyce, M. S. 2009. Global declines of caribou and reindeer. Global Change Biology15:2626-2633.

 

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Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: March 25, 2024.