# Mortality associated with Dictyocaulus cervi in farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Romania

## TL;DR

This study reports the first case of deaths in farmed red deer in Romania caused by a lungworm called Dictyocaulus cervi.

## Contribution

The first documented mortality cases in farmed red deer in Romania caused by Dictyocaulus cervi.

## Key findings

- Postmortem and molecular analysis confirmed Dictyocaulus cervi as the cause of respiratory failure in four farmed red deer.
- This is the first report of Dictyocaulus cervi-associated mortality in farmed deer in Romania.
- The study highlights the need for further research on the parasite's impact on cervid populations.

## Abstract

Lungworms from the genus Dictyocaulus are known to cause catarrhal bronchitis and pulmonary atelectasis in domestic and wild ruminants. In red deer (Cervus elaphus), four Dictyocaulus species can be present in the respiratory tract. This study describes the investigation of mortalities in red deer (Cervus elaphus) in a commercial farm for red deer from Romania, associated with the presence of lungworms. Postmortem examination revealed the presence of nematodes in the bronchial lumen in all cases. Morphological and molecular examination of the nematodes recovered confirmed Dictyocaulus cervi as the species involved. The most probable cause of death in all four cases was respiratory failure due to the severe parasitic infection and cachexia. This study represents the first report of mortality associated with Dictyocaulus cervi in farmed deer and the first report of the species in Romania, highlighting the need for further epidemiological studies to assess its distribution and potential impact on other cervids in the country.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00436-026-08641-1.