Helminth parasites of intermingling axis deer, wild swine and domestic cattle from the island of Molokai, Hawaii.

Abstract

Helminth infections of axis deer (Cervus axis), wild swine (Sus scrofa) and domestic cattle (Bos taurus) were studied among intermingling herds on the Puu-O-Hoku Ranch, Molokai, Hawaii. Twenty-four species of helminths were collected from the 10 deer, 10 swine and 10 cattle. Capillaria bovis, Cooperia punctata, Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus axei infected both axis deer and cattle, whereas Gongylonema pulchrum infected both axis deer and wild swine. None of the species of helminths occurred in both wild swine and cattle nor was any species found in all three hosts. Wild swine and domestic cattle supported separate and distinct helminth communities. In contrast, the helminth community of axis deer appeared to be derived from the helminth communities of cattle and wild swine and consisted only of those species capable of parasitizing either a broad range of ruminants or many mammalian taxa.