Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) of elk (Alces alces) in Poland

Abstract

Over a 4-year period, we analyzed 128 fecal samples from free-living elk (Alces alces L., 1758) to determine the prevalence of Eimeria infections and identify the species present. Two eimerian species were isolated including Eimeria alces and a morphotype resembling Eimeria catubrina. Overall, two samples from 128 samples collected were positive for Eimeria (prevalence = 1.6 %), and the oocyst per gram, estimated with the use of the conventional McMaster quantitative technique, ranged from 50 to 100. Also, E. alces has been found in Lithuania and Belarus and is the only known species of eimerian to infect elk. E. catubrina is a parasite typically infecting roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L., 1758). This is the first report of Eimeria spp. in elk in Poland. Results of our investigation indicate that elk may become infected with an eimerian species that is typical for roe deer, but this requires further investigation.