Protostrongylus spp

Rijal, Samridhi, Neuhaus, Peter, Thorley, Jack, Caulkett, Nigel, Kutz, Susan & Ruckstuhl, Kathreen E., 2024, Patterns of gastrointestinal parasite infections in bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, with respect to host sex and seasonality, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 24, pp. 100950-100950 : 100950-

3.4. Protostrongylus spp . lungworms

Season and sex significantly affected fecal Protostrongylus spp . lungworm egg counts in an interaction (X 2 = 49.89, df = 3, p <0.001), while age had no effect (X 2 = 0.46, df = 1, p = 0.50; Table 4).

Female fecal egg counts of Protostrongylus spp . lungworms were significantly lower during lactation/summer than during late gestation, the rut or winter ( Fig. 2d –Appendix A4). The Protostrongylus spp . lungworm fecal egg count of males was significantly lower during late gestation/early lactation compared to the rut and winter ( Fig. 2d –Appendix A4). The sexes only differed in Protostrongylus spp . lungworm egg counts during late gestation and lactation. While females had significantly higher counts during late gestation, males had higher counts during lactation/summer ( Fig. 2d –Appendix A4). The mating tactic males employed during the rut did not affect their fecal Protostrongylus lungworm egg/larvae count (Estimate = – 0.69, SE = 0.54 X 2 = 1.67, df = 1, p = 0.20).

Figures

Fig. 2. Seasonal differences in fecal egg counts in female (blue) and male (red) bighorn sheep. Point intervals display the mean count ±95% confidence intervals as predicted by generalised linear mixed effects models. Seasons are: Late gestation (Late gestation/early lactation between April to June); Lactation/summer (between July and October); Rut (November and December); Winter (Winter/early gestation from January to March). Parasites are a) Strongyle; b) Nematodirus; c) Marshallagia; d) Protostrongylus lungworm; e) Eimeria. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)