On the heels of last month’s sequencing of the cattle tick’s genome comes the report of a draft genome for lungworm, Dictyocaulus viviparous. This is good news for producers of dairy and meat from cattle and other ruminants such as elk and deer.
Unlike the tick study, the lungworm genome research does not come with a nicely packaged prototype vaccine, but it does add important basic understanding of the lungworm’s biology that the authors hope will allow for improved drug testing in the near future.
The microscopic lungworm may have a perfect – if rather repulsive – life cycle. Its ability to travel different systems in different organisms reads like a C.V. of language mastery. Respiratory system? Check. Lymphatic system? Check. Circulatory and digestive systems? Check, check. And the fungal reproductive system? Yes, check that one too.