PARASITES, DISEASES, AND HEALTH STATUS OF SYMPATRIC POPULATIONS OF SIKA DEER AND WHITE-TAILED DEER IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA

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Abstract
In July 1981, investigations on parasites, diseases, and herd health status were conducted on sympatric populations of sika deer (C. nippon) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Maryland) and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (Virginia) on the Delmarva Peninsula [USA]. Five adult deer of each species were collected from each location and subjected to thorough necropsy examinations and laboratory tests. White-tailed deer at both locations harbored protozoan, helminth and arthropod parasites typically associated with this species throughout the southeastern USA. Sika deer at both locations harbored only light burdens of ticks, chiggers and sarcocysts. Serologic tests for antibodies to 7 infectious disease agents revealed evidence of exposure to bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus, and parainfluenza type 3 virus in white-tailed deer, but only BVD virus in sika deer. At both locations the general health status of sika deer was superior to that of white-tailed deer.

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