Author:
Jill McElderry-Maxwell
Bag End Suri Alpacas of Maine, LLC, Maine, United States

Date of Publication:
Updated November 2013

Publication:
Bag End Suri Alpacas of Maine, LLC

Meningeal Worm: An Introduction
Meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis) is a parasite of special concern for many alpaca farmers. Carried by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and intermediate slug and snail hosts, “m-worm”, as it is commonly known, lives and reproduces in the deer. Although the deer are generally not affected by the parasite, any other animal ingesting an infected slug or snail is usually killed by the activity of the parasite as it travels through the nervous system.

Preventing infection in our alpacas is a critical part of husbandry for alpaca breeders anywhere white-tailed deer are prevalent, as prevention using monthly injections of avermectins is easy – but a cure is often impossible. Even when an infected animal’s life can be saved, lingering neurological deficits are common.

Read the rest of the article: meningealworm2013.pdf