Menigeal Worm Meat Goat Survey
Gene Schriefer
Meningeal worm and your herd
Meningeal worm is a parasitic worm that lives and reproduces in white-tailed deer. Deer are rarely bothered by the parasite, because in deer it is primarily confined to a specific tissue type in the head. However, it can be serious and potentially fatal in other animals like goats, sheep, alpacas, or llamas. Rather than staying in one particular area and reproducing like adult worms do in white-tailed deer, in other animals the worms travel around, potentially wandering through the brain and spinal cord. This can cause neurological problems such as lameness (particularly in the hind limbs), difficulty rising, circling, paralysis, and potentially death. Meningeal worm has a complex life cycle, and becomes infectious to livestock when livestock accidentally eat an infected slug or snail.
Our research group at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine is interested in hearing from you (goat owners) about your experience with meningeal worm infections in goats in the Midwest region. We are also interested in any strategies goat owners are using to reduce the risk of meningeal worm infection. If you own goats, and live in either Minnesota or Wisconsin, it would greatly help us if you would fill out a short, online survey to share your goat care methods and meningeal worm history. The survey can be accessed by following this link (https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_25HP6Rab4FV8FUy). Please take the survey by July 1st, 2021. Contact Katherine Marchetto with any questions (marc...@umn.edu).
Gene Schriefer 😷
Ag Educator
Extension
UW-Madison
Dodgeville, WI 53533
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