Lung nematodes of sheep (Ovis aries) in Iceland - prevalence, intensity and geographic distribution in 1992 and 1993

Abstract

During the slaughter period in autumn 1992 and 1993 lungs and the gastrointestinal tract was collected from a single lamb originating from 96 sheep farms, selected to reflect the distribution of farms in Iceland. The results on the gastrointestinal helminths have already been published. The lungs were kept frozen until analysed in 2019. Nematodes were directly searched for in the lungs of 84 lambs. Results on larval counts were handed over to the present authors for comparison purposes. Three lungworm nematode species were detected: Muellerius capillaris (total prevalence 35.1%), Protostrongylus sp. (2.4%), and Dictyocaulus filaria (16.7%). M. capillaris was found in lambs from all parts of Iceland except from certain areas in the north and northeast. Protostrogylus sp. was detected on two adjacent farms in the north. D. filaria was frequently found in lambs from farms in the southern and western parts, whereas sporadic cases were found in north and east Iceland. As relatively few lambs were examined, the distribution area of sheep lungworm in the early 1990s is regarded to have been more extensive than indicated in the article.