PARASITE-SPECIFIC IMMUNOGLOBULIN IN THE SERUM AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID OF WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS) AND GOATS (CAPRA HIRCUS) WITH EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED PARELAPHOSTRONGYLOSIS

Two white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns and two goat (Capra hircus) kids were each infected with 50 third-stage larvae of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis. Weekly sample collec tions of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood, beginning 1 wk before infection and continuing 15 wk after infection, permitted the assessment of parasite-specific IgG responses in CSF and serum. Leukocyte number, total protein concentration (TP-CSF), aspartate aminotransferase activity (AST CSF), and creatine kinase activity (CK-CSF) were also measured in the CSF. The goats developed a significant (P 0.25). Both goats and deer developed significant levels (P < 0.002) of P. te?w/s-specific antibody in the CSF by 6 wk after infection. All animals had increased numbers of leukocytes in CSF during this period. Between 4 and 8 wk after infection, eosinophils represented 40-85% of the leukocytes. The TP-CSF, AST-CSF, and CK-CSF did not appear to be of diagnostic value. We suggest that the detection of parasite-specific immunoglobulin using adult worm antigens might be of value in the diagnosis of this infection in naturally infected animals.