NOTES 
Observations on Parasites of Domestic Animals in Micronesia 
As A PART OF THE MlCRONESIAN EXPEDITION 
of the University of Hawaii in the summer of 
1946, observations were made by the writer on 
parasitic diseases of man and of some of the 
important economic animals on the islands of 
Ponape and Guam, and on Moen (Truk archi¬ 
pelago). Brief reports have already been pub¬ 
lished by the writer on observations of parasites 
of man (Jour. Parasitol. 32: 12-13, 1946) and 
on murine leptospirosis (Science 105: 236, 
1947). The present note summarizes some of 
the observations made on parasites taken mostly 
from domestic animals. 
Parasites of Cattle. Many skin lesions asso¬ 
ciated with extensive tick infestation were noted 
on 12 cows examined in the Net and U districts 
of Ponape. The ticks have been identified as 
Boophilus annulatus australis (Fuller), carriers 
of bovine piroplasmosis or "Texas fever." Re¬ 
ports ( Civil Affairs Handbook, Office Chief 
Naval Operations U. S. Navy, OPNAV P22-5, 
p. 129. 1944) indicate that on Ponape many 
cattle have in the past died of this disease. The 
examination of the feces of six of the above- 
mentioned cows failed to reveal presence of 
liver fluke eggs. A verbal report from Mr. Oliver 
Nampei, resident of the island, indicated that 
liver flukes had been noted in cattle on Ponape. 
A search by the writer in several fresh-water 
streams in the Net and U districts for lymnaeid 
snails, known carriers of liver flukes, yielded 
negative findings. 
The examination of one bull near Agana, 
Guam, revealed a moderate infestation of ticks 
identified as Boophilus annulatus australis (Ful¬ 
ler) and Amblyomma cyprium Neumann. Liver 
flukes, Fasciola hepatica Linn., are known to 
occur in cattle on Guam. The identification was 
made by the writer in 1940 from specimens 
submitted by Mr. A. I. Cruz of the Guam De¬ 
partment of Agriculture. The intermediate host 
for these flukes on Guam is believed to be the 
fresh-water snails Fossaria ollula (Gould), 
which were collected by the writer in a swampy 
area near Agana. This snail has been experi¬ 
mentally proved to be a suitable carrier for 
65 
F. hepatica (Hawaii Agr. Expt. St a. Rpt. 1946: 
99, 1947). 
Parasites of Swine. On the island of Ponape, 
the post-mortem examination of a pig, approxi¬ 
mately 1 Vi years old, revealed several immature 
kidney worms, Stephanurus dentatus Diesing, 
within nodules in the mesenteric and perirenal 
fat. The liver of the pig showed considerable 
discoloration and fibrosis, conditions commonly 
seen in kidney-worm infection caused by the 
young migrating worms. The large intestine of 
the animal also showed a moderate infection of 
nodular worms, Oesophagostomum dentatum 
(Rudolphi). 
On the island of Guam, two pigs, butchered 
at the slaughterhouse of the U. S. Commercial 
Company, showed infections of lungworms, 
Metastrongylus elongatus (Dujardin), and nodu¬ 
lar worms, Oesophagostomum dentatum (Ru¬ 
dolphi). In addition, one of the pigs harbored 
a moderate infection of kidney worms, Step¬ 
hanurus dentatus Diesing. The liver of the pig 
showed many white spots and young kidney 
worms. The butcher at the slaughterhouse stated 
that in his estimation about 50 per cent of the 
hogs slaughtered there showed similar kidney- 
worm lesions. 
The limited observations made on Guam and 
Ponape indicate that kidney-worm infection in 
pigs may be widespread in Micronesia. Kidney 
worms produce serious damage to pigs, and 
therefore represent a group of parasites of con¬ 
siderable economic interest. Since the natives 
depend on swine as one of the major sources of 
animal protein, it is desirable that proper meas¬ 
ures be taken to control this parasite. A method 
which has been suggested by the U. S. Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture (Farmers Bui. 1787) for 
kidney-worm control in the southern states con¬ 
sists in raising pigs on pastures surrounded by 
a dry, bare area which allows the action of the 
sun to destroy the developing eggs and larvae of 
the parasite. This method does not appear ade¬ 
quate for many areas of Micronesia where rain¬ 
fall is common and the sky is cloudy or overcast 
more than three-fourths of the time. It appears 
