Elaphostrongylus

Elaphostrongylus is a genus of parasitic nematodes in the family Protostrongylidae.^[2]

Elaphostrongylus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Nematoda
Class:	Chromadorea
Order:	Rhabditida
Family:	Protostrongylidae
Genus:	Elaphostrongylus Cameron, 1931[1]

Species

• Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931
• Elaphostrongylus panticola Lubinov, 1945
• Elaphostrongylus rangiferi Mitskevich, 1958
• Elaphostrongylus alces Steen et al., 1989

Life cycle

Intermediate hosts of Elaphostrongylus spp. are terrestrial gastropods and they include:

• Limax cinereoniger^[2]
• Malacolimax tenellus^[2]
• Succinea spp.^[2]
• Vitrina pellucida^[2]
• Zonitoides nitidus^[2]

Experimental hosts of Elaphostrongylus spp. can also be freshwater snails.^[2] For example Lymnaea stagnalis has been experimentally infected with Elaphostrongylus rangiferi.^[3]

Elaphostrongylus spp. causes cerebral nematodiasis.^[2] Definitive host include Cervidae: moose Alces alces,^[2] Cervus elaphus and reindeer Rangifer tarandus.