ECHINOCOCCUS GRANULOSUS GENOTYPE G8 IN MAINE MOOSE (ALCES ALCES)

Authors

  • Anne Lichtenwalner 1University of Maine Animal Health Lab, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono ME 04469
  • Nirajan Adhikari University of Maine Animal Health Lab, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono ME 04469
  • Lee Kantar Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 650 State St., Bangor, ME 04401
  • Emily Jenkins Dept. of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5B4
  • Janna Schurer Dept. of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5B4

Keywords:

Echinococcus granulosus, hydatid cyst, moose, zoonosis

Abstract

During a 2012 survey of harvested moose (Alces alces) in Maine (USA), an incidental finding of hydatid cysts was found in 39% (21 of 54) of lung sets examined. Cytology of cyst contents was consistent with Echinococcus granulosus. The G8 genotype was identified based on PCR and DNA sequencing of a 470 base pair region of the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (NAD1) mitochondrial gene. The hydatid cysts were the northern, or cervid genotype and this is the first confirmed report of E. granulosus in Maine moose. The Atlantic regions of the northern USA and Canada were not previously thought to be endemic regions for E. granulosus. It is presumed that either domestic dogs or eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) are the definitive host.

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Published

2014-04-10

How to Cite

Lichtenwalner, A., Adhikari, N., Kantar, L., Jenkins, E., & Schurer, J. (2014). ECHINOCOCCUS GRANULOSUS GENOTYPE G8 IN MAINE MOOSE (ALCES ALCES). Alces, 50, 27–33. Retrieved from https://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/127

Issue

Vol. 50 (2014)

Section

Articles

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