Elaphostrongylus is a genus of parasitic nematodes in the family Protostrongylidae.

Species

• Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931
• Elaphostrongylus panticola Lubinov, 1945
• Elaphostrongylus rangiferi Mitskevich, 1958

Life cycle

Intermediate host

Intermediate host

A secondary host or intermediate host is a host that harbors the parasite only for a short transition period, during which some developmental stage is completed. For trypanosomes, the cause of sleeping sickness, humans are the primary host, while the tsetse fly is the secondary host...

s of Elaphostrongylus spp. are terrestrial gastropods and they include:

• Limax cinereoniger
  Limax cinereoniger
  Limax cinereoniger is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Limacidae, the keelback slugs.-Description:Rarely this slug can grow up to 30 cm long...
  
  
• Malacolimax tenellus
  Malacolimax tenellus
  Malacolimax tenellus is species of air-breathing land slug, a shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Limacidae.-Distribution:This species is known to occur in a number of European countries and islands including:...
  
  
• Succinea
  Succinea
  Succinea, common name amber snails, is a genus of small, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Succineidae.They usually live in damp habitats such as marshes.-Species:...
  
  spp.
• Vitrina pellucida
  Vitrina pellucida
  Vitrina pellucida is species of small land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Vitrinidae, the glass snails.- Distribution :...
  
  
• Zonitoides nitidus
  Zonitoides nitidus
  Zonitoides nitidus is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Gastrodontidae.Zonitoides nitidus is the type species of the genus Zonitoides.-Distribution:...
  
  

Experimental hosts of Elaphostrongylus spp. can also be freshwater snail

Freshwater snail

A freshwater snail is one kind of freshwater mollusc, the other kind being freshwater clams and mussels, i.e. freshwater bivalves. Specifically a freshwater snail is a gastropod that lives in a watery non-marine habitat. The majority of freshwater gastropods have a shell, with very few exceptions....

s. For example Lymnaea stagnalis

Lymnaea stagnalis

Lymnaea stagnalis, better known as the great pond snail, is a species of large air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae.-Distribution:The distribution of this species is Holarctic...

has been experimentally infected with Elaphostrongylus rangiferi.

Elaphostrongylus spp. causes cerebral nematodiasis. Definitive host include Cervidae: moose Alces alces, Cervus elaphus and reindeer Rangifer tarandus.