Parelaphostrongylus
Genus of nematodes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parelaphostrongylus is a genus of parasitic nematodes belonging to the family Protostrongylidae. All species in this genus use North American cervids as definitive hosts.[2]
| Parelaphostrongylus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Nematoda |
| Class: | Chromadorea |
| Order: | Rhabditida |
| Family: | Protostrongylidae |
| Genus: | Parelaphostrongylus Boev & Schultz, 1950[1] |
Species
Three species are assigned to this genus:[1]
- Parelaphostrongylus andersoni Prestwood, 1972
- Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei (Hobmaier and Hobmaier, 1934)
- Parelaphostrongylus tenuis (Dougherty, 1945)
Life cycle
Infected cervids pass first-stage larvae in their fecal pellets. After coming into contact with the larvae, gastropods become intermediate hosts and facilitate development of the larvae to the infective third stage.[3] Transmission to the definitive hosts occurs when cervids inadvertently consume infected gastropods along with food.[3] Infective larvae of Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei have been shown to emerge from gastropod hosts in lab conditions, raising the possibility of an alternate transmission route.[4]
