https://cpw.cvlcollections.org/files/original/9a47d5e53623b3fcc88eccefd4424755.pdf b28c0caba5504bf9b264a25586e9c5e2 PDF Text Text Abdominal • Abdominal worms live in the abdomen of Colorado deer. These worms do not cause disease and are not a concern for human health. Species Affected in Colorado • • Mule deer, white-tailed deer Rarely elk, moose, bighorn sheep What to Look For • • Thin, slender worms, often curled up on the surfaces of organs, in the abdomen of deer. Mineralized (dead) worms in the abdomen of deer. Cause and Transmission The deer abdominal worm is a nematode (roundworm) in the genus Setaria. Adult Setaria are frequently seen by deer hunters Setaria worms (arrows) on the surface of the mesentery in the abdomen of a healthy mule deer. while field dressing animals. The worms are seen on the surfaces of the abdominal organs (see photo). Worms are approximately 5-10 inches long with a whitish to clear color, tapered ends, and bodies that are often curled. Infections are more common in fawns and yearling deer than in adults. The number of worms in the abdomen rarely exceeds about 30, with higher numbers suggesting the deer may have been in poor condition or poor health. Transmission of worms is through mosquitoes that pick up microfilariae (immature worms) while feeding on infected deer and pass the infection to other animals. The deer abdominal worm does not cause significant disease in deer, with severe cases resulting in only minor irritation in the abdomen. This parasite does not infect humans or non-ruminant animals. Public Health Considerations Deer abdominal worms do not pose a threat to human health and the presence of these worms is considered a normal finding. Hunters are reminded that parasites are a normal finding in all wild game and that proper cooking of meat is always recommended. Although small numbers of abdominal worms are not a concern, in rare cases of severe infections (>30 worms, especially in adults) this may indicate an underlying problem with the health of the animal. CPW recommends that any sick animals should not be consumed. Additional Information/References Mule and black-tailed deer of North America (edited by Olof C. Wallmo). “Diseases” chapter written by Charles P. Hibler. 1981. Rev 11/2016 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Fact Sheets Type The nature or genre of the resource Fact Sheet Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Description An account of the resource CPW Fact Sheets Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abdominal Description An account of the resource Fact sheet about abdominal worms. Abdominal worms live in the abdomen of Colorado deer. These worms do not cause disease and are not a concern for human health. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Colorado Parks and Wildlife Subject The topic of the resource Wildlife diseases Worms -- Parasites Extent The size or duration of the resource. 1 page Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2016-12 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/">No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Fact Sheet Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource English