OUTBREAKS OF CLINICAL CEREBROSPINAL ELAPHOSTRONGYLOSIS IN REINDEER (RANGIFER-TARANDUS-TARANDUS) IN FINNMARK, NORWAY, AND THEIR RELATION TO CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Outbreaks of clinical cerebrospinal elaphostrongylosis (CSE) in reinde er (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Finnmark county, northern Norway, w ere summarized for the period 1960-1993 and compared to meteorological data. Disease outbreaks occurred during autumn and winter of seven di fferent years. They were highly associated with high temperatures and moderately associated with heavy rainfall during the preceding summers . Mean summer temperatures for years with and without subsequent disea se outbreaks were 1.5-degrees-C above and 0.4-degrees-C below the over all mean for the observation period. Summer temperatures above mean se em to be required to induce the mass development of infective Elaphost rongylus rangiferi larvae in the intermediate gastropod hosts that sub sequently leads to severe infection and clinical CSE in reindeer in Fi nnmark. After hot summers, the nematode may cause epidemics with heavy losses, especially among calves.