case_images: PMC11310155_01
case_images: Serpentine-like structures in the subserosa of the oesophagus of a juvenile female roe deer (left); the scale bar represents 1 cm. From the subserosa, white thread-like worms were collected (right); the male (shorter nematode) was approximately 5 cm and the female (longer nematode) 12 cm long.
case_images: fvets-11-1444614-g001.jpg
case_images: PMC11310155_01_fvets-11-1444614-g001.jpg
case_images: fig1
case_images: A detailed parasitological examination of the lungs (for lungworms) and surrounding tissues (heart, oesophagus) unexpectedly revealed serpentine-shape changes in the subserosa of the oesophagus (Figure 1, left). On extraction, the white thread-like worms were 5-12 cm long (Figure 1, right).
case_images: Cuticular bosses (CB) on the anterior part of the nematode, typical for genus Gongylonema sp. (left), and posterior part of the male Gongylonema pulchrum with caudal wings (CW) and two short spicules (S) of different sizes (right) at 100x magnification. The scale bar represents 100 mum.
case_images: fvets-11-1444614-g002.jpg
case_images: PMC11310155_01_fvets-11-1444614-g002.jpg
case_images: fig2
case_images: Under the light microscope, cuticular bosses typical of the genus Gongylonema were observed in the anterior part of the parasites (Figure 2, left). The male was 5 cm long and had asymmetrical caudal wings with two short, differently sized spicules (Figure 2, right), indicating a juvenile male.
case_images: PMC11310155_02
case_images: Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of >6,000-bp long Gongylonema rDNA sequences. GenBank accession numbers are listed in addition to Gongylonema species and country of origin. In total, 32 nucleotide sequences of Gongylonema pulchrum (n = 22 and one from the present study), Gongylonema nepalensis (n = 4), Gongylonema neoplasticum (n = 2) and Gongylonema aegypti (n = 3) were included. The tree is drawn to scale, with branch lengths measured in the number of substitutions per site. Stegophorus macronectes rDNA (GenBank accession no. HE793715.1) was used as an outgroup to root the tree.
case_images: fvets-11-1444614-g003.jpg
case_images: PMC11310155_02_fvets-11-1444614-g003.jpg
case_images: fig3