On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased
to share with you our new publication in Ecology and Evolution: Potential new species
of pseudaliid lung nematode (Metastrongyloidea) from two stranded neonatal orcas (
Orcinus orca ) characterized by ITS ‐2
and COI sequences.
With the aid of two molecular markers, we identified the lungworm species found in two stranded orcas and compared
this to those previously
reported from other
cetaceans and pinnipeds. The paper can be found here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10036
Abstract:
Knowledge about parasite species of orcas, their prevalence, and impact on the health status
is scarce. Only two records of lungworm infections in orca exist from male neonatal orcas
stranded in Germany and Norway. The nematodes were identified as Halocercus sp.
(Pseudaliidae), which have been described in the respiratory tract of multiple odontocete species, but morphological identification to species level remained impossible
due to the fragile structure and ambiguous morphological features. Pseudaliid nematodes (Metastrongyloidea)
are specific to the respiratory tract of
toothed whales and are hypothesized to have become almost extinct in terrestrial mammals.
Severe lungworm infections can cause secondary bacterial infections and bronchopneumonia and
are a common cause of mortality in odontocetes. DNA isolations and subsequent sequencing of
the rDNA ITS-2 and mtDNA COI revealed nucleotide differences between previously described Halocercus species from
common dolphin (H. delphini) and harbor porpoises (H.
invaginatus) that were comparatively analyzed, pointing toward a potentially new species of
pseudaliid lungworm in orcas. New COI sequences of six additional metastrongyloid lungworms of
seals and porpoises were derived to elucidate phylogenetic relationships and differences between
nine species of Metastrongyloidea.
Please do not hesitate to contact me (Joy.Ometere.Boyi@tiho-hannover.de) for a copy of the article or to discuss our findings.
Best wishes,
Joy
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Joy Ometere Boyi
PhD Candidate
Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research
University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation
Werftstr. 6│25761 Buesum│Germany