Parasite infections in red deer Cervus elaphus from Krakow area, southern Poland.

ABSTRACT

The study describes the parasitofauna of red deer Cervus elaphus from Kraków area (southern Poland). The study was done in years 2011-2012 and included altogether 6 animals. Five deer originated from the forest areas (hunted) and one came from the urban site (it died in a road accident). In addition to post-mortem examination, coproscopic analyses with sporulation were performed to define Eimeria species diversity. The deer were infected with four species of nematodes Ashworthius sidemi, Spiculopteragia spiculoptera, Oesophagostomum venulosum and O. sikae, and two species of coccidia E. elaphi and E. austriaca. The level of parasitie infections was low, but the results indicate the important role of deer as possible transmitter of A. sidemi to other ungulates in examined area.