<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Mute swans (<italic>Cygnus olor</italic>) of the Anatidae family are common in wetlands of Europe. They winter in Africa, Asia and some parts of Europe. The species is exposed to many pathogens in its places of residence, including parasites possibly introduced from tropical countries by other species of birds that take long wanderings and occupy a similar ecological niche. One such case is the infection of the <italic>Sarconema eurycerca</italic>, nematode belonging to the Filarioidea family. It invades the bird’s myocardium and, according to some authors, this nematode may be one of the main causes of swans’ deaths. The material for the present study was an approximately 2 year old female mute swan, which during the flight fell suddenly to the ground in Pomorskie Voivodeship (Poland, 53°50′18″N 18°12′54″E) in November. During the examination and medical observation, weakness, diarrhea and infestation with lice were found. The cause of its eventual death was attributed to a failure of the circulatory system. Post mortem, two abscesses with diameters of 2-3 cm were found in its liver parenchyma. Three nematodes were visible in the epicardium and many more in myocardium. Upon cutting open the heart, small yellowish foci, about 1 mm in diameter were scattered over valves. On the basis of morphological features, infection by <italic>Sarconema eurycerca</italic> was concluded. As far as we are aware, in Poland there were no earlier reports of this parasite infecting a swan.</p></abstract>

Mute swans (Cygnus olor) of the Anatidae family are common in wetlands of Europe. They winter in Africa, Asia and some parts of Europe. The species is exposed to many pathogens in its places of residence, including parasites possibly introduced from tropical countries by other species of birds that take long wanderings and occupy a similar ecological niche. One such case is the infection of the Sarconema eurycerca, nematode belonging to the Filarioidea family. It invades the bird’s myocardium and, according to some authors, this nematode may be one of the main causes of swans’ deaths. The material for the present study was an approximately 2 year old female mute swan, which during the flight fell suddenly to the ground in Pomorskie Voivodeship (Poland, 53°50′18″N 18°12′54″E) in November. During the examination and medical observation, weakness, diarrhea and infestation with lice were found. The cause of its eventual death was attributed to a failure of the circulatory system. Post mortem, two abscesses with diameters of 2-3 cm were found in its liver parenchyma. Three nematodes were visible in the epicardium and many more in myocardium. Upon cutting open the heart, small yellowish foci, about 1 mm in diameter were scattered over valves. On the basis of morphological features, infection by Sarconema eurycerca was concluded. As far as we are aware, in Poland there were no earlier reports of this parasite infecting a swan.

First report of <italic>Sarconema eurycerca</italic> (Filarioidea) in mute swan (<italic>Cygnus olor</italic>) in Poland – the case report

Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

Pomeranian Rehabilitation Center for Wild Animals “Ostoja”

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

First report of  (Filarioidea) in mute swan () in Poland – the case report

Mute swans (Cygnus olor) of the Anatidae family are common in wetlands of Europe. They winter in Africa, Asia and some parts of Europe. The species is exposed...

First report of Sarconema eurycerca (Filarioidea) in mute swan (Cygnus olor) in Poland – the case report

Published Online: Mar 06, 2019

Page range: 62 - 65

Received: Oct 15, 2018

Accepted: Nov 29, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2018-0042

Keywords
case report, Cygnini, hearth worms, myocardium, nematode, waterfowl

© 2019 M. M. Michalski et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

First report of Sarconema eurycerca (Filarioidea) in mute swan (Cygnus olor) in Poland – the case report

Published Online: Mar 06, 2019

Page range: 62 - 65

Received: Oct 15, 2018

Accepted: Nov 29, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2018-0042

Keywordscase report, Cygnini, hearth worms, myocardium, nematode, waterfowl

© 2019 M. M. Michalski et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
case report, Cygnini, hearth worms, myocardium, nematode, waterfowl