5 Strange Parasites That Infect deer loesshillsoutfitters Earlier this week we covered five common diseases that plague deer in North America, but we also left off an entire section of ailments: parasites. These crawly, wriggly, oozing pests are common in many deer, and can be very damaging to the animal they inhabit—not to mention being very uncomfortable and gross-looking as well. The odds are, if you’re an avid deer hunter, you probably already encountered at least one of these before. Thankfully, none of them are harmful to humans and cannot infect people, making them little more than an annoyance for many hunters. Most of the time these tiny critters don’t even ruin the meat, although you will want to give the venison a through cleaning before consumption. Be warned, the images and videos below can be graphic. If you have a weak stomach, click away now. If you think you would sleep better never knowing about these parasites, this is the time to turn back. Otherwise, let’s jump into the five deer parasites that make us itchy just by looking at them. Arterial worm (lumpy jaw) Have you ever seen a deer with large lump on the side of its mouth, sort of like if it was trying to store food the same way that a squirrel does? Well then you probably saw a deer with arterial worms, or “lumpy jaw” as it’s commonly called. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, arterial worms live in a deer’s carotid arteries and can reduce bloodflow to the animals jaw. This causes the deer’s jaw muscles to become partially paralyzed. The lump is actually “impacted” food that the deer has already chewed but is unable to swallow. Needless to say, lumpy jaw can cause mortality in deer, especially older animals who find themselves unable to eat entirely. Experts believe that arterial worms don’t affect humans, and no case of a human contracting the parasite has been reported.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 01:28:30 +0000