Life History of the ‘Serendipity worm’ (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae): an undescribed parasite of

ungulates in the Arctic and Subarctic

Life History of the ‘Serendipity worm’ (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae): an undescribed parasite of

ungulates in the Arctic and Subarctic

Guilherme Gomes Verocai

Supervisor: Susan Kutz

Guilherme Gomes Verocai

Supervisor: Susan Kutz

Introduction

Parasites can act as drivers of ecological changes in host

populations

Lack of knowledge on Arctic parasite diversity limits

understanding

Studies on parasites, their distribution, and impacts on host

populations

Economical and cultural importance

Photo: Susan Kutz

Introduction

Occurrence of Serendipity worm in North America (extracted from Kutz el al., 2007)

An unknown Protostrongylidae species was discovered in ungulates across the Arctic (Kutz et al., 2007)

Introduction

Larvae isolated from feces and molecularly characterized based on the ITS-2 sequence (2000-2006)

Distinct from other species within the Family Protostrongylidae

No taxonomical description was provided

Deroceras laeve (Müller, 1774): naturally infected intermediate host (IH)

Introduction

Proposed life-cycle of the Serendipity worm.L1: First-stage larva, L3: Third-stage larva, IH: Intermediate Host, DH: Definitive Host, PPP: Pre-patent Period.

DH: site of parasitism?

L1 shed in feces

L3 emerges?

??

Development from L1 to L3 = ?days

IH

??

PPP=? days

Objectives

1. Provide a taxonomic description

2. Establish life cycle experimentally

3. Determine definitive host and geographic ranges

Photo: Pat Curry

Methods

1. Taxonomic description:

• Muskoxen from Nunavik, QU

• 1 post mortem + lungs of 2 hunted animals

• Lung dissection

• Several washes passing through 75μm sieve

• Analyzed material at dissecting microscope

Methods

Lung tissue for histopathology (10% buffer formalin)

Molecular confirmation of species identity (ITS-2)

Taxonomic description:

• Clear nematodes with Lactophenol

• Sp. description: measurements, drawings

• Comparison with related spp.: Museum types

• Phylogeny within Protostrongylidae based on morphology

• Larval stages: L1 from feces/L2-3 from gastropods

Preliminary Results

Collected material: nematodes in lungs

Animal ID Sex Coordinates/ Place

Locality Number of worms

Males Females Fragments*

Om-01-10 Female 580 44’ 51.44”N 700 02’ 06.19”W

Tasiujaq, QU 1 1 1

Om-02-10 Male 580 44’ 09.96”N 690 34’ 18.22”W

Tasiujaq, QU 4 1 4

Om-10-10 Female Stewart Lake Road

Kuujjuaq, QU 4 3 4

Cephalic end Male caudal end Female caudal end Embryonated egg

* Body fragments containing taxonomic relevant features (i.e. cephalic and caudal ends)

Methods

2. Establish life cycle experimentally :

• Muskoxen fecal samples

• Isolate L1 (Baermann technique)

• Infect laboratory gastropods

• Recover L3 by digestion

•

Methods

2. Establish life cycle experimentally :

• Infect captive muskox (1) and reindeer (4-6)

• Evaluate life cycle parameters (PPP, patent period, seasonality)

• Infected animals will serve as larval source

• Describe pathology in experimentally infected reindeer

Larvae successfully developed in experimentally infected

gastropods:

• D. reticulatum: L3 in 52 days

• Lymnaea stagnalis: L2 in few weeks

Larval emergence occurs

Muskox experimentally exposed to L3

Fecal monitoring

Preliminary Results

Methods

3. Determine definitive host species and geographic ranges:

• Fecal samples from northern ungulates (herds/populations)

• Larval isolation by Baermann technique

• Material from caribou herds and muskoxen frozen at -20C

• Molecular identification based on ITS-2 sequence

• Studies on Phylogeography (based on cox I of mDNA)

Preliminary results

Herd Date/ Season Samples (n) DSL Prevalence (%)

Bathurst Nov’07 32 15.6

George/Leaf River* Jun/Nov/Oct’07 60 20

Bathurst March’08 37 29.7

Cape Bathurst/ Blue Nose West March’08 38 28.9

Akia (Greenland) March’08 47 0

Porcupine Sept’08 13 0

Bathurst Sept’ 08 28 3.6

Kangerlussuaq (Greenland) March’09 50 0

Cape Bathurst/ Blue Nose West March’09 74 32.4

Bathurst* April’09 29 34.5

Ahiak* Feb’09 36 58.3

Beverly/Qamanirjuaq* March’09 23 65.2

Porcupine Fall’09 10 10

George/Leaf River (not finished) Spring/Fall’09 30 53.3

Preliminary results

Caribou herds infected by Serendipity worm

Source: WWF/CARMA Network

Preliminary Results

Caribou:

• New records of infected herds in Canada mainland

• Overlaps Parelaphostrongylus andersoni

• Co-infections can occur

Prevalence in Muskoxen from Quebec

• 86.7 – 100% (several collections 2008-10)

Greenland muskoxen & caribou: 0%

Elk from the Yukon: 0% (n=60)

Summary

DH: SITE OF PARASITISM

L1 shed in fecesL3 emerges

IH

PPP

??

??

??

??

??

??

Development from L1 to L3

Summary

DH: SITE OF PARASITISM

L1 shed in fecesL3 emerges

IH

PPP

??

??

??

??

??

Development from L1 to L3

LUNGS

Summary

DH: SITE OF PARASITISM

L1 shed in fecesL3 emerges

IH

PPP ??

??

??

??

Development from L1 to L3

LUNGS

52 days

Summary

DH: SITE OF PARASITISM

L1 shed in fecesL3 emerges

IH

PPP ??

??

LUNGS

52 daysDevelopment from L1 to L3

??

Summary

DH: SITE OF PARASITISM

L1 shed in fecesL3 emerges

IH

PPP ??

??

LUNGS

52 daysDevelopment from L1 to L3

Acknowledgements

Kutz Lab: Dean Brown, Danna Schock, Nathan deBruyn, Pat Curry,

Bryanne Hoar, Ryan Brook, Jesse Invik, Lynn Klassen

Committee: Susan Kutz, John Gilleard, Alessandro Massolo, Eric Hoberg

Gilleard Lab: Alexander Eberhardt Lukowiak Lab: Sarah Dalesman Czub & Leguillette Labs Greg Muench, Nigel Caulkett, Marianne Jorgensen Makivik Corp: Manon Simard, Bill Doidge, François Martin Biologists and Veterinarians with Governments of NU, NT, YK, Alaska, and

Greenland Northern communities/hunters Department of Ecosystem and Public Health

Thanks!Thanks!