Identification and Molecular Characterization of Spirurid Nematode Associated With Giraffe Skin Disease in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Worms related to an eyeworm turned up inside diseased giraffe skin. Researchers examining lesions in Tanzania's Ruaha National Park found tiny larvae embedded in the tissue, then recovered DNA closely resembling a parasite usually associated with eyes. It was an unexpected lead in a skin condition whose cause remains unresolved.

J. Wanda, E. Mjingo, E. Mwega and J. Malago examined biopsies from ten Masai giraffes with skin lesions, sampled during a tagging operation in October–November 2022. They studied thin tissue sections under a microscope, looking for parasites and inflammation. They then tested the six samples containing visible worms for a genetic marker and compared recovered sequences with known roundworms.

Larvae occurred in six biopsies, alongside inflammatory cells and damaged tissue. Three samples yielded the targeted DNA, and the reported sequence was more than 99% similar to reference sequences of Thelazia callipaeda, commonly called an eyeworm. That close match supports a relationship, but does not establish that this worm causes giraffe skin disease: the study lacked unaffected animals for comparison and did not determine how the parasites reached the skin. The finding narrows the investigation to a tangible organism within lesions, while leaving infection route and responsibility for the disease open.