We will collect the abomasa and intestines of moose individuals shot during the hunting season and killed in train or vehicle collisions to identify and quantify prevalence and intensity of infections by gastrointestinal nematode parasites. Our main objectives within the "qualifying project" are 1) to correlate the intensity of infection with sex, age and physical conditions of the killed individuals and 2) to investigate the spatial overlap between infected moose and summer grazing pastures of livestock. This will provide us with the baseline data for our main project, which aims to 1) predict changes in ranges of distribution of parasites and the diseases they carry in relation to climate change; 2) monitor parasite prevalence and intensity of infection with a special emphasis on the species transmittable to livestock and humans and their implications on human health.
