Parasite Identification in Waterfowl on the Upper Mississippi River

Parasites are organisms that live within or on another organism, often called a host. They depend on the host(s) for survival, sometimes at a cost to the host. This research analyzed parasites of waterfowl on the western half of the Mississippi river flyway. Both endoparasites and ectoparasites of waterfowl were examined and identified, using morphological (anatomical structure), and molecular (DNA) techniques. First, parasites were obtained from waterfowl collected from hunters. They were then examined for condition, age, and sex, and measured for size. Ectoparasites were obtained after the feathers and body were ruffled. The waterfowl were the carefully dissected, and each body part examined for parasites. The body parts examined were, from top to bottom. Mouth and tongue, trachea, esophagus, lungs, heart, liver, gizzard (stomach), kidneys, intestines, ceca, and cloaca. The parasites were then separated by class and stored in ethanol to be preserved for identification. Specimens were stained using carmine and mounted in Canada balsam for identification using morphological keys. DNA was extracted using 10% Chelex and quantified. Specimens were amplified using PCR to determine species identification. The identified parasites will be compared to the parasites found in waterfowl located in the eastern half of the Mississippi river flyway in the future