Schulz, 1933 (Trichostrongylidae: Haemonchinae) in Mountain Ecosystems - a Potential Risk for the Tatra Chamois (Blahout, 1971/1972)

The Asian native is now in Europe, and several dozen years after its introduction, it is a widespread parasite of all wild cervids. For bovids, the nematode is a significant threat to the European bison () population and has also been found in mouflon ( ). Our study aimed to assess the risk of infection for the endemic subspecies of northern (Alpine) chamois () - the Tatra chamois (. . ), which has a critically endangered status. We conducted the investigation in the mountainous areas of Slovakia and Poland occupied by Tatra chamois (. . ), Alpine chamois (. . ), red deer () and roe deer (). Animals (n = 93) shot during licensed hunting and killed in road accidents (roe deer, red deer), or which had died of natural causes (chamois) were post-mortem examined for the presence of Haemonchinae. The investigation confirmed the expansion of to high mountain regions via Cervidae. . affected all of the examined roe deer and 90.0% of the red deer. As for the chamois, . was found in one . originating from the Low Tatras, but not in any pure . . individuals living in the High and Western Tatras. Our work is the first confirmation of northern chamois infection with this alien and highly pathogenic blood-sucking nematode. Due to the important health hazard of . infection for the Tatra chamois (. . ), appropriate measures should be taken to reduce the possibility of parasite transmission between various cervid species living in the Tatra region, as well as the affected population of chamois and the pure Tatra chamois population inhabiting the higher parts of the mountains, constituting their natural habitat.