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The endoparasite fauna of 108 sika deer (42 calves <1 year, 20 approximately 1 year old animals, 46 animals >1 year) originating from the two free-living sika deer populations in Austria (Ostrong, 35 animals; Tullner Donauauen, 73 animals) was studied. The deer were shot during the hunting seasons 2003-2005. In all, at least four species of protozoa (Eimeria austriaca, Eimeria robusta, Eimeria sordida; Sarcocystis spp.), two species each of cestodes (Moniezia benedeni, larval cyst of Taenia hydatigena) and trematodes (Dicrocoelium chinensis?, Fasciola hepatica) and 16 species of nematodes were identified including 14 species recovered from the gastro-intestinal tracts and one species each isolated from the lungs (Dictyocaulus eckerti) and the abdominal cavity (Setaria cervi). Endoparasites were recovered from all 108 deer with prevalences of 44% for Sarcocystis spp., 14.8% for Eimeria spp., 4.6% for Fasciola hepatica, 27.6% for Dicrocoelium chinensis?, 3.1% for Dictyocaulus eckerti, 3.7% for Moniezia benedeni and 98.1% for gastro-intestinal nematodes. The burden of gastro-intestinal nematodes ranged from zero to 1089 with a geometric mean of 149 worms. The abomasums, small and large intestines harboured 81%, 14% and 5% of the total gastro-intestinal nematode burden. Spiculopteragia houdemeri (93.5%), Oesophagostomum sikae (87.9%), Oesophagostomum venulosum (51.4%), Cooperia pectinata (42.1%), Spiculopteragia böhmi (23.4%) and Ostertagia leptospicularis (16.8%) were the most prevalent nematode species of the gastro-intestinal tracts. Spiculopteragia houdemeri and Rinadia andreevae were new records for Austria.

Fifteen Holstein-Friesian bulls which grazed together for one season (April to November) in Schleswig-Holstein were necropsied after housing for 2 to 6 weeks. The approximately 12-month old bulls weighed 378 to 491 kg at slaughter and did not receive any anthelmintic on pasture. The most prevalent species of the gastrointestinal tract was Ostertagia ostertagi (prevalence; geometric mean worm count; minimum-maximum) (100%; 1,355; 130-4,590) followed by Cooperia (C.) oncophora (86.7%; 343; 20-14,800), Oesophagostomum (Oe.) radiatum (86.7%; 3.7; 1-42), Trichostrongylus axei (80%; 65; 50-910), C. punctata (73.3%; 14.8; 10-140), Trichuris (T.) discolor (73.3%; 4.8; 1-108) and Skrjabinagia lyrata (60%; 8.5; 18-260) which were recorded in more than half of the animals. Less frequently, C. surnabada (46.7%; 18; 10-4025), T. skrjabini (33.3%; 0.7; 2-14), Nematodirus helvetianus (13.3%; 0.5; 20-30), Spiculopteragia böhmi (6.7%; 0.2; [26]), Capillaria bovis (6.7%; 0.2; [10]) and Oe. venulosum (6.7%; 0.2; [9]) were recovered. Inhibited fourth-stage larvae of the Ostertagiinae were recovered from the abomasal mucosae of all bulls (100%; 13,159; 5,800-56,950). The abomasum harboured the highest worm burden followed by the small intestine and large intestine (geometric means): 15,565, 461 and 10 nematodes, respectively. Inhibited fourth-stage larvae amounted to 90% of the abomasal Ostertagiinae. Dictyocaulus viviparus was recorded in 73.3% of the animals with a geometric mean count of 12.8 (1-822 per animal).

The helminth fauna of the gastrointestinal tract of 25 and the respiratory organs and the livers of 6 German goats was qualitatively and quantitatively examined. One trematode species (Dicrocoelium dendriticum), 2 species of cestodes (Moniezia expansa and metacestodes of Taenia hydatigena) and 28 species of nematodes (24 in the gastrointestinal tract and 4 in the lungs) were recorded. Two goats were infested with Oestrus ovis larvae. The most prevalent species were Ostertagia circumcincta and Chabertia ovina (84% each), Ostertagia trifurcata and Oesophagostomum venulosum (76% each), Ostertagia pinnata and Trichostrongylus colubriformis (64% each), Trichuris ovis (60%) and Skrjabinema ovis and Trichuris globulosa (56% each). The highest mean worm counts were seen in goats infected with Skjabinema ovis (4003), Ostertagia circumcincta (2501), Trichostrongylus axei (1825), Trichostrongylus colubriformis (1578) and Nematodirus battus (1050). Totally, the goats did harbour more nematodes in the abomasum (3734) than in the small intestine (1707) or the large intestine (2343). The lungs were parasitized by Cystocaulus ocreatus, Muellerius capillaris, Neostrongylus linearis and Protostrongylus rufescens.

The endoparasite fauna of 59 slaughtered sheep (30 lambs, 29 ewes) from the Swabian Alb, Germany, was examined. One species of trematodes, 3 species of cestodes, 29 species of nematodes (23 species of gastro-intestinal and 6 species of lung nematodes), 1 species of arthropodes and 1 species of protozoa were recorded. All animals were infected with Dicrocoelium dentriticum as well as gastro-intestinal and lung nematodes, 45.8% with Moniezia spp., 15.3% with Cysticercus tenuicollis, 55.9% with Oestrus ovis and 11.9% with Sarcocystis gigantea. The most important gastro-intestinal nematodes were Ostertagia circumcincta and Cooperia curticei, which were recorded in all sheep, Ostertagia trifurcata and Chabertia ovine (98.3% each), Oesophagostumum venulosum (96.6%), Nematodirus filicollis (81.4% each), Ostertagia pinnata (78.0%), Trichuris ovis and Trichostrongylus colubriformis (76.3% each). The ewes harboured more abomasal and small intestinal nematodes (1819 and 3702) than the lambs (695 and 1730), which haboured more large intestinal nematodes (177) than those (56). The most often recorded lungworms were Cystocaulus ocreatus (74.6%) and Muellerius capillaris (72.9%), followed by Neostrongylus linearis (57.6%), Dictyocaulus filaria (50.8%), Protostrongylus brevispiculum (37.3%) and Protostrongylus rufescens (28.8%). The ewes carried higher lungworm burdens than the lambs.

The distribution of Chabertia (Ch.) ovina, Oesophagostomum (O.) venulosum and Trichuris spp. within the large intestine of naturally infected sheep in the dependence of worm counts and the presence of nematodes of other species or genera was evaluated. The large intestine was divided into 4 sections. More than 75% of Ch. ovina were found within the disk-like section of the colon independently from worm count and presence of nematodes of other species. O. venulosum and Trichuris spp. preferred the caecum and the first section of the colon up to the beginning of the disk-like section. In both, the share of worms recovered from the first section of the colon did increase with higher worm counts. The simultaneous presence of O. venulosum and Trichuris spp. had a significantly negative influence on the share of Trichuris spp. isolated from the caecum.

The relationship between the faecal egg count and the worm burden of the gastrointestinal tract of sheep was examined. Close relationships were found in strongyles, Trichostrongylidae (other than Nematodirus spp.), Nematodirus spp., Strongyloides papillosus, Chabertiidae and Trichuris spp.. Due to high percentage of false negative diagnosis from faecal examination, this relationship was in Nematodirus spp. and Trichuris spp. not as close as in the other nematodes. However, the results support the high diagnostic value of quantitative faecal examinations in sheep.

The helminth fauna of 136 slaughtered sheep (99 lambs < 1 year, and 37 sheep > or = 1 year) from Upper Bavaria, Germany, was examined. In all 2 species of trematodes, 3 species of cestodes and 24 species of nematodes were found. All the animals harboured gastrointestinal nematodes, 9 of them liver flukes, 33 Moniezia spp., 19 Cysticercus tenuicollis, and one sheep Setaria sp. Lungworms were not seen. The most prevalent species were Cooperia curticei (74.3%), Trichuris ovis (69.1%), Ostertagia circumcincta (68.4%), Oesophagostomum venulosum (63.2%) and Chabertia ovina (61.8%). The highest mean wormburden was seen in Cooperia curticei (12471) followed by Trichostrongylus axei (1856), Trichostrongylus colubriformis (1752), Nematodirus filicollis (1551) and Nematodirus battus (1238). In both lambs and older sheep the small intestine harboured the highest wormburden followed by abomasum and large intestine. The total nematode counts were much higher in lambs than in older sheep. The lambs harboured more intestinal nematodes than older sheep but fewer abomasal worms.