Molecular Analysis of Lungworms from European Bison (Bison Bonasus) on the Basis of Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA Gene (SSU)

Dictyocaulosis (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) is a widespread parasitosis of the European bison (Bison bonasus) inhabiting Bialowieza Primeval Forest. Bearing in mind the current coexistence of bison with wild cervids, and with domestic ruminants in the 19th and 20th century, the need arose for molecular identification of lungworm species. Molecular analysis was done on adult lungworms that were obtained from the respiratory track of four free-roaming bison euthanized as a part of the population health control program. As the result of the study four identical small subunit-ribosomal RNA gene sequences from the lungworms were obtained and deposited in GenBank as sequence, 1708 bp long (GenBank KC771250). Comparative analysis of the SSU rRNA sequences revealed the European bison to be a host for the bovine lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparus.