Cervids gastrointestinal (GI) tracts and/or fecal pellets were collected throughout the study area in partnership with numerous government agencies and northern communities. GI tracts were collected from various sources: roadkill, natural mortalities and hunted animals. Fresh fecal pellets were collected from the ground following visual observation of defecation or perennially during animal captures. For each sample the species of cervid, collection date, ecoregion and UTM were recorded. When available, additional attributes including the sex, age class, health status and cause of death for each cervid were gathered. Samples are being analyzed using molecular techniques (Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism) to describe the species diversity of GI nematodes in the study area. This information will be used to generate baselines of caribou parasite diversity in northern herds and to outline potential threats of pathogenic, northward expanding, nematodes in deer and elk.

To date, preliminary results show distinct patterns of overall infection prevalence and species diversity among caribou and other cervids. Caribou from all three ecotypes show high incidence of infection (82-100%) with one species (O. gruehneri). In southern regions where caribou and other species overlap in time and space, these data suggest limited parasite-host switching between caribou and other cervids.


Graduate Student, Nathan deBruyn in lab with nemotodes and eggs