Parasites are organisms that live on or within a host, deriving nutrients at the host's expense. In horses, parasitic infections can affect various systems, including the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and respiratory system. Common equine parasites include strongyles, ascarids, tapeworms, and bots. These parasites can lead to a range of health issues, from mild discomfort to severe disease, depending on the type and burden of the infestation. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the biology, life cycle, and impact of parasites on equine health, as well as strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of parasitic infections in horses.
Canever RJ, Braga PR, Boeckh A, Grycajuck M, Bier D, Molento MB.The increase of anthelmintic resistance in the last years in the nematode population of veterinary importance has become a major concern. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the main anthelmintic drugs available in the market against small strongyles of horses in Brazil. A total of 498 horses from 11 horse farms, located in the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, in Brazil, were treated with ivermectin, moxidectin, pyrantel and fenbendazole, orally at their recommended doses. The fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) was used to deter...
Adaszek Ł, García-Bocanegra I, Arenas-Montes A, Carbonero A, Arenas A, Winiarczyk S.The aim of the study was to detect the presence of genetic material of equine piroplasmas and to determine the species isolates from apparently healthy equids, including horses, donkeys and mules, in southern Spain. Blood samples were collected from 135 animals to assess the presence of DNA from equine piroplasmas using PCR. Babesia (B.) caballi DNA was detected in blood samples of three horses and one donkey, while Theileria (T.) equi DNA was confirmed in blood of 19 horses, three mules and one donkey. All B. caballi isolates showed a 100% homology of the nucleotide sequence of the 18S RNA ge...
Inácio SV, de Brito RL, Zucatto AS, Coelho WM, de Aquino MC, Aguirre Ade A, Perri SH, Meireles MV, Bresciani KD.The present study aimed to analyze the occurrence of infection by Cryptosporidium spp. in mares and their respective foals. This study was carried out in 11 farms located in the municipalities of Araçatuba, Birigui, Guararapes and Santo Antônio do Aracangua, in the northwest region of the State of Sao Paulo, from November 2010 to March 2011. A total of 98 mares and 98 foals of several breeds were analyzed; among foals, 59 were males and 39 females, aged from three to 330 days. Feces were collected directly from the rectal ampulla, purified and processed according to modified Kinyoun stain. O...
Soykan E, Oge H.This study was carried out between March 2004- April 2005 to determine the prevalance of liver trematode infections of equids in different cities of Turkey. Methods: A total of 117 equids (72 horses, 39 donkeys and 6 mules) in Ankara were examined for liver parasites after the slaugthering process. On the other hand, a total of 620 feces of horses in Bursa, Gemlik, Malatya, Eskişehir and Ankara provinces were detected for determining liver trematodes in live equines. The fecal samples of horses were examined for liver fluke infection by Benedect's sedimentation methods. Results: Of these 117 ...
Yadav SC, Kumar R, Manuja A, Goyal L, Gupta AK.In present communication, we report an outbreak of Trypanosoma evansi in equine herd n = 30 (horse and mules) which, were reared in fly proof stables as well as in open paddock maintained under semi-intensive system of management, and its effective control using trypanocidal drug. The infection was monitored by antibody ELISA up to 180 days post-treatment (PT). A total of 8 out of 14 equines (57.14 %) which were maintained only in open paddocks were found positive with T. evansi infection parasitologically. The infected animals were treated with quinapyramine methyl sulphate and chloride c...
Tydén E, Morrison DA, Engström A, Nielsen MK, Eydal M, Höglund J.The large roundworm of horses, Parascaris equorum is considered ubiquitous in breeding operations, and is regarded as a most important helminth pathogen of foals. Over the past decade, this parasite has been reported increasingly resistant to anthelmintic drugs worldwide. This paper reports analysis of the population genetic structure of P. equorum. Adult parasites (n=194) collected from Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Germany, Brazil and the USA were investigated by amplified restriction fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. The genetic variation was low (Hj=0.12-0.4), for the global populat...
Andersen UV, Howe DK, Olsen SN, Nielsen MK.Parasites infecting horses are ubiquitous and clinically important across the world. The major parasitic threats to equine health are cyathostomins, Parascaris equorum, Anoplocephala perfoliata, and Strongylus vulgaris. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance reported world wide in equine parasites have led to recommendations of constructing sustainable parasite control programmes based on systematic surveillance of parasite levels. Regulations at the European Union level now make anthelmintics available on prescription-only basis and disallow prophylactic treatment. This emphasizes the n...
Kappmeyer LS, Thiagarajan M, Herndon DR, Ramsay JD, Caler E, Djikeng A, Gillespie JJ, Lau AO, Roalson EH, Silva JC, Silva MG, Suarez CE, Ueti MW....Transmission of arthropod-borne apicomplexan parasites that cause disease and result in death or persistent infection represents a major challenge to global human and animal health. First described in 1901 as Piroplasma equi, this re-emergent apicomplexan parasite was renamed Babesia equi and subsequently Theileria equi, reflecting an uncertain taxonomy. Understanding mechanisms by which apicomplexan parasites evade immune or chemotherapeutic elimination is required for development of effective vaccines or chemotherapeutics. The continued risk of transmission of T. equi from clinically silent,...
Santín M.Cryptosporidium spp. are frequent parasites of livestock and companion animals, raising questions about the clinical significance of such infections. Cryptosporidium infections have a wide spectrum of clinical signs that can vary from asymptomatic to serious infection to death. In neonatal ruminants, cryptosporidiosis is considered an important disease characterised by diarrhoea and mortality. In companion animals most infections are asymptomatic but severe clinical illness has also been reported in dogs, cats and horses. In birds, three main clinical forms of cryptosporidiosis are primarily s...
McFrederick QS, Haselkorn TS, Verocai GG, Jaenike J.Parasites in the genus Onchocerca infect humans, ruminants, camels, horses, suids, and canids, with effects ranging from relatively benign to debilitating. In North America, Onchocerca cervipedis is the sole species known to infect cervids, while at least 5 Onchocerca species infect Eurasian cervids. In this study, we report the discovery of a cervid-parasitizing Onchocerca only distantly related to O. cervipedis. To reconstruct the phylogenetic history of the genus Onchocerca, we used newly acquired DNA sequence from O. cervipedis (from moose in Northwest Territories, Canada) and from the new...
Mula P, Pilo C, Solinas C, Pipia AP, Varcasia A, Francisco I, Arias MS, Paz Silva A, Sánchez-Andrade R, Morrondo P, Díez-Baños P, Scala A.From January to December 2008, 265 horses slaughtered in Sardinia (Italy) were examined for the presence of Rhinoestrus spp. (Diptera: Oestridae) through the examination of the nasal cavities and pharynges. Larvae were detected in 49% of the horses, with a mean intensity of infestation of 16.09 and abundance of 7.95. A total of 2108 larvae were collected, 66% of which were classified in first instar (L1), 22% in second instar (L2) and 12% in third instar (L3). The most frequent localization of larvae was the ethmoid, while the less one the larynx. According to the dynamics of Rhinoestrus larva...
Emmerich IU.In 2011, three newly developed active pharmaceutical ingredients for horses and food producing animals were released on the German market for veterinary drug products. Two of these new products represent different drug classes of antibiotics, the polypeptide antibiotic Bacitracin (Bacivet™) and the macrolide antibiotic Clorsulon (Levatum®). The third product represents an anticestodal antiparasitic (Tildipirosin, Zuprevo®). Furthermore, three established veterinary active pharmaceutical ingredients were modified to allow their application for additional species. Thus the nonsteroidal anti-...
Rehbein S, Visser M, Winter R.Prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites were studied through a longitudinal survey in 400 horses over a 17-month period in an abattoir in Germany. Three hundred and ten horses (77.5 %) were demonstrated harbouring endoparasites either by direct recovery of parasites from the digestive tract and/or in terms of faecal egg counts (strongyles). The following parasites were found (percentage prevalence, range of counts): Gasterophilus intestinalis larvae (2.25 %, 1-154), Gasterophilus nasalis larvae (0.25 %, 44), Trichostrongylus axei (11.0 %, 1-3,620), Habronema majus (8.0 %; 1...
Kumar S, Yokoyama N, Kim JY, Bork-Mimm S, Inoue N, Xuan X, Igarashi I, Sugimoto C.Theileria equi is a tick-transmitted intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite in equids. Equine merozoite antigen (EMA)-1 and EMA-2 of T. equi have been identified as immunodominant proteins co-expressed on the surface of extra-erythrocytic merozoites. Additionally, only the EMA-2 is shed into the cytoplasm of infected erythrocyte or inside the erythrocytic membrane during their early developmental stage. In this study, we initially performed West-Western blot analysis on Triton X-100-insoluble erythrocytic skeleton collected from a healthy horse, using a glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged rec...
Onmaz AC, Beutel RG, Schneeberg K, Pavaloiu AN, Komarek A, van den Hoven R.Most diseases of horses with zoonotic importance are transmitted by arthropods. The vectors belong to two very distantly related groups, the chelicerate Ixodidae (Acari = ticks) and the hexapod Diptera (true flies). Almost all relevant species are predestined for transmitting pathogens by their blood-sucking habits. Especially species of Diptera, one of the megadiverse orders of holometabolan insects (ca. 150.000 spp.), affect the health status and performance of horses during the grazing period in summer. The severity of pathological effect depends on the pathogen, but also on the group of ve...
Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S.The efficacy of an oral formulation of praziquantel (Equitape, Horse paste, Fort Dodge) in the reduction of cestode egg counts and serum antibody level against Anoplocephala perfoliata was assessed in 44 donkeys under field conditions. The donkeys were confirmed both by faecal examination and serum antibody assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to have natural infection with tapeworms. The donkeys were randomly allocated into treatment (n = 22) and control (n = 22) groups. The treatment group was treated with both praziquantel and ivermectin (Ivomec, Merial) at a dose rate o...
Valdéz-Cruz MP, Hernández-Gil M, Galindo-Rodríguez L, Alonso-Díaz MA.The east coast of Veracruz, Mexico, has an important equine population used for working in rural production systems. The objectives of this study were (1) to calculate the prevalence of tropical working equids (donkeys, mules and horses) infected with gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) and the GINs involved, and (2) to measure the body condition score (BCS) and haematological values for each working equid and its relationship with faecal worm egg count (EPG). One hundred and forty working equids were randomly selected from five different villages along the central coast of the state of Veracruz...
Naylor RJ, Luis-Fuentes V, Livesey L, Mobley CB, Henke N, Brock K, Fernandez-Fuente M, Piercy RJ.Type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1), an equine glycogen storage disorder caused by a gain of function mutation (R309H) in the gene encoding glycogen synthase (GYS1), is associated with the accumulation of amylase-resistant alpha-crystalline polysaccharide inclusions within skeletal muscle. Several glycogenoses in humans have a cardiac phenotype, and reports exist of horses with PSSM and polysaccharide inclusions in cardiac muscle. Objective: To investigate the hypothesis that horses with PSSM1 display a cardiac phenotype. Our objectives were to compare plasma cardiac troponin I (cTn...
Studzińska MB, Tomczuk K, Demkowska-Kutrzepa M, Szczepaniak K.Postmortem parasitic examinations of the large intestines of 725 slaughtered horses from individual farmers in southeastern Poland were carried out. The examinations were carried out monthly since February 2006 until January 2007 (except for August 2007 because of a technological stoppage in the slaughterhouse). The examinations included the intensiveness and extensiveness of the infestation of the Strongylidae belonging to the Strongylus genus. The Strongylidae were found in 26.5% of the examined horses. Strongylus vulgaris was the most dominant nematode and had a 22.8% prevalence, Strongylus...
Andersen UV, Haakansson IT, Roust T, Rhod M, Baptiste KE, Nielsen MK.Strongyle and trichostrongyle parasites are ubiquitous nematodes of grazing livestock. Several molecular diagnostic tests are based upon measuring and quantifying DNA obtained from parasite eggs. It is well known that such eggs undergo development during storage, but it remains unknown to which extent developmental stages can affect the variation of diagnostic test results. This study investigated the influence of developmental stages of strongyle eggs on the variation real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results. Mixed species strongyle eggs were obtained from the faeces of a naturally i...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC.Critical tests were performed in 2011 in four weanling horses (L-1, L-2, L-29, and L-30) treated with ivermectin paste at 200 μg/kg. They were born in 2011 and raised together on a farm (MC) in Central Kentucky. The horses had not been treated previously with an antiparasitic drug. However, ivermectin had been administered repeatedly to the horse herd for several years and strongyle eggs per gram of feces (EPGs) returned sooner posttreatment than after initial usage. Critical tests in a recent previous study in this horse herd indicated that the reason for the early return of strongyle EPGs a...
Niedźwiedź A, Borowicz H, Nicpoń JM.A survey to determine current prevalence of Gasterophilus spp. (bot flies) in equids (n=400) at necropsy in slaughtered horses was conducted at the abattoir in Rawicz. The evaluation was performed according to sex, age, larval stages, severity of infestation and localization, respectively. Only Gasterophilus intestinalis and Gasterophilus nasalis were detected. The prevalence determined in the eastern part of Poland was of 47%. The high prevalence of this parasite infection in the Polish horse population confirms that Gasterophilosis spp. has to be taken into serious consideration and prophyla...
Salama AA, Aboulaila M, Moussa AA, Nayel MA, El-Sify A, Terkawi MA, Hassan HY, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I.Fusidic acid known to has antibacterial, antifungal, and antimalarial activities. Fusidic acid blocks translation elongation factor G gene in Plasmodium falciparum. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of fusidic acid on the in vitro growth of bovine and equine Babesia parasites were evaluated. The inhibitory effect of fusidic acid on the in vivo growth of Babesia microti was also assessed. The in vitro growth of four Babesia species that were tested was significantly inhibited (P<0.05) by micromolar concentrations of fusidic acid (IC(50) values=144.8, 17.3, 33.3, and 56.25 μM for ...
de Oliveira E, de Albuquerque PP, de Souza Neto OL, Faria EB, Júnior JW, Mota RA.The aim of the present study was to investigate antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in the serum of mules and donkeys bred in the northeast of Brazil. In total, 483 samples were used (395 mules and 88 donkeys) from 4 states (Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, and Sergipe). The indirect immunofluorescence reaction (IFI) technique was used to investigate antibodies to T. gondii with a cut-off point of 64. Positive frequencies of 23.8% and 43.2% were recorded for mules and donkeys, respectively. The state of Pernambuco had the highest prevalence of positive samples (29%) with statistically si...
Kuzmina TA, Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Dzeverin II, Kharchenko VA.The aims of the study were to determine fecundity of several strongylid species parasitizing domestic horses and analyze possible relations between numbers of eggs in female uteri and size of both the eggs and the nematodes as well as the influence of fecundity on proportion of species in the strongylid community. Twenty-five specimens from each of 15 strongylid species (Strongylus vulgaris, Strongylus edentatus, Triodontophorus serratus, Triodontophorus brevicauda, Triodontophorus tenuicollis, Cyathostomum catinatum, Coronocyclus coronatus, Cylicocyclus nassatus, Cylicocyclus insigne, Cylicoc...
Wood EL, Matthews JB, Stephenson S, Slote M, Nussey DH.Cyathostomins are the most prevalent equine intestinal parasites and resistance has been reported in these nematodes against all 3 licensed anthelmintic classes. Strategies need to be developed that are less dependent upon drugs and more reliant on management-based control. To develop these we need to understand natural transmission patterns better. Here, we analysed longitudinal fecal egg count (FEC) data from 5 pony populations used for conservation purposes. We tested how egg excretion varied amongst populations and individuals, and how this was affected by age and climate. There was eviden...
Kuz'mina TA.Species composition and structure of the strongylid community was studies on helminthological material collected from 162 domestic horses from 11 regions of Ukraine by the in vivo method. Animals were treated with anthelmintic drug "Univerm" (0.2% aversectin C, Russia). Faecal samples (200 g each) were collected from every horse at 24, 36, 48 and 60 hours after treatment; all nematodes expelled (90.851 specimens) were collected and identified. Thirty-three strongylid species from 12 genera (8 species of subfamily Strongylinae and 25--of Cyathostominae) were found in domestic horses in Ukraine....
Araujo JM, Araújo JV, Braga FR, Tavela Ade O, Ferreira SR, Soares FE, Carvalho GR.Strongyloides westeri is the most prevalent nematode among equines aged up to four months and causes gastrointestinal disorders. The objective of this study was to observe the control of infective S. westeri larvae (L3) by the nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001) and Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF34) after passage through the gastrointestinal tract of female donkeys. Twelve dewormed female donkeys that were kept in stables were used. Two treatment groups each comprising four animals received orally 100 g of pellets made of sodium alginate matrix containing a mycelial mass of either...
Owen RA, Jagger DW, Quan-Taylor R.The prevalence of Anoplocephala perfoliata in 103 horses and ponies from Clwyd, Powys and the adjacent English marches, slaughtered during January 1987, was 69 per cent.
Lewis BD, Penzhorn BL, Volkmann DH.Treatment of pregnant mares to prevent abortions due to equine piroplasmosis is a novel idea practised empirically at some Thoroughbred studs in South Africa. This paper presents the results of an investigation to ascertain whether imidocarb dipropionate crosses the equine placenta. Three pregnant mares were injected intramuscularly with imidocarb and their foetuses were mechanically aborted at varying time intervals thereafter. Imidocarb was found in foetal blood at a level similar to that in the dam's blood, suggesting that imidocarb administered to the dam would be available for anti-parasi...
Zintl A, Westbrook C, Mulcahy G, Skerrett HE, Gray JS.In order to explore the feasibility of producing a Babesia divergens live vaccine free of bovine material contaminants the parasite's ability to grow in human, sheep and horse erythrocytes and serum and serum-free medium was investigated. B. divergens was successfully maintained in bovine erythrocytes overlaid with serum-free HL-1 medium. Supplementation of the culture medium with bovine or sheep serum improved parasite growth (monitored by measuring parasitaemia and uptake of tritiated hypoxanthine) whereas horse and human sera reduced parasite growth. As assessed by Giemsa's stained and FITC...
Cwiklinski K, Merga JY, Lake SL, Hartley C, Matthews JB, Paterson S, Hodgkinson JE.Clade V nematodes comprise several parasitic species that include the cyathostomins, primary helminth pathogens of horses. Next generation transcriptome datasets are available for eight parasitic clade V nematodes, although no equine parasites are included in this group. Here, we report next generation transcriptome sequencing analysis for the common cyathostomin species, Cylicostephanus goldi. A cDNA library was generated from RNA extracted from 17 C. goldi male and female adult parasites. Following sequencing using a 454 GS FLX pyrosequencer, a total of 475,215 sequencing reads were generate...
Malan FS, Reinecke RK, Scialdo RC.The entire gastro-intestinal tract and viscera of the abdomen and thorax, including the heart, aorta and its branches to the viscera, are removed from the carcass. All the branches of the aorta, with the exception of the A. gastrica sinistra, are dissected from the intestinal tract, and subsequently each branch is isolated from the mesentery, fat, pancreas, kidneys, etc. Usually, the A. ileocolica is grossly enlarged due to chronic arteritis with thrombus formation caused by 4th stage larvae, 4th moult and 5th stage Strongylus vulgaris. Descriptions of methods to examine the subperitoneal tiss...
Güiris AD, Rojas HN, Berovides AV, Sosa PJ, Pérez EM, Cruz AE, Chávez HC, Moguel AJ, Jimenez-Coello M, Ortega-Pacheco A.A cross sectional survey was performed to identify gastrointestinal helminths and protozoans in naturally infected horses from the biosphere reserve known as "La Sierra Madre de Chiapas", Mexico (El Triunfo and La Sepultura). During a three-year survey, fecal samples from 90 horses and parasites from 2 necropsied animals were collected. Five families from the Nematoda class: Ascaridae, Kathlanidae, Oxyuridae, Strongylidae and Trichostrongylidae were found, whereas, only one family from the class Cestoda, was observed: Anoplocephalidae. One family from the class Insecta, was observed: Gasteroph...
Xiao L, Herd RP.Diarrhoea is one of the most important diseases of foals and
7040% are affected within the first 6 months of life (Palmer
1985). Although the cause is multifactorial and changes in the
physiology and nutrition of foals are sometimes responsible,
diarrhoea is frequently the result of infection by enteropathogens
such as bacteria, viruses and nematodes (Palmer 1985; Tzipori
1985). There is increasing evidence that Cryptosporidium
infection can also cause diarrhoea in foals (Austin et a/. 1990;
Kim 1990).
Cryptosporidiosis in horses is caused by Cryptosporidium
parvum, a coccidial paras...
Ahedor B, Sivakumar T, Valinotti MFR, Otgonsuren D, Yokoyama N, Acosta TJ.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in equids, including horses. EP has a global distribution and often leads to a significant socioeconomic impact on the equine industry. Infected animals remain as carriers and become a source of infection for tick vectors, thereby posing an immense challenge in the disease management. Therefore, detection of these carriers is crucial to assess the risk of transmission and to implement appropriate control measures in endemic countries. Paraguay is a tropical country where various tick-borne diseases a...
Minervino AHH, Torres AC, Moreira TR, Vinholte BP, Sampaio BM, Bianchi D, Portela JM, Sarturi C, Marcili A, Barrêto Júnior RA, Gennari SM....The State of Pará has one of the largest herds of equids (horse, donkey and mule) in Brazil, most of these animals are found on cattle farms. Equine theileriosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the parasite Theileria equi and is characterized by fever, anaemia, icterus, intravascular haemolysis, haemoglobinuria, spleen and hepatomegaly, and even death. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of antibodies against T. equi in equids in the western region of the State of Pará, Brazil, and to identify potential risk factors associated with parasite infection. A cross-sectional stu...
Lee H, Lee SH, Lee YR, Kim HY, Moon BY, Han JE, Rhee MH, Kwon OD, Kwak D.Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a microsporidian pathogen. Recently, the equestrian population is increasing in Korea. The horse-related zoonotic pathogens, including E. bieneusi, are concerns of public health. A total of 1,200 horse fecal samples were collected from riding centers and breeding farms in Jeju Island and inland areas. Of the fecal samples 15 (1.3%) were PCR positive for E. bieneusi. Interestingly, all positive samples came from Jeju Island. Diarrhea and infection in foals were related. Two genotypes (horse1, horse2) were identified as possible zoonotic groups requiring continuous mon...
Herd RP, Coles GC.The growing importance of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomes (small strongyles) of horses poses a threat to the health and welfare of all types of horses. On the basis of published information on cyathostomes of horses, six recommendations are made for reducing the development and spread of anthelmintic resistant nematodes. The need for restraint in the use of anthelmintics, the application of epidemiological principles of worm control and a greater emphasis on pasture management are the principal recommendations.
Hosseini M, Moraveji M, Tahamtan Y, Rahimian A, Mohammadi G, Namavari M.Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle, while limited information is presently available on the seroprevalence of Neospora antibodies in horses' worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine serologic prevalence of Neospora infection in horses in Iran. Methods: Sera from 150 horses from Mashhad suburb in Razavi Khorasan Province, northeast Iran were examined for antibodies to Neospora spp. using Neospora modified direct agglutination test (N-MAT). Results: Antibodies to this parasite were detected in 45 (3...
Barclay WP, Phillips TN, Foerner JJ.Intussusception associated with Anoplocephala perfoliata infection was found in 5 horses. The unusual types of intussusception and the presence of tapeworms at the leading edge of the intussuscipiens suggested tapeworms as the cause of the problem. Lesions attributable to tapeworm attachment on the mucosa were found to fit a mechanical model of intussusception. Treatment of two of the horses and some of their pasturemates with pyrantel pamoate caused elimination of intact tapeworms.
Morales GA, Wells EA, Angel D.Discovery of two ill horses and three dogs naturally infected with Trypanosoma evansi near an experimental station in the Eastern Plains of Colombia led to a search for reservoir hosts of the parasite. Infection was detected in 8/33 healthy capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), none of the remaining 14 horses, and none of 32 Zebu cattle (Bos indicus), 18 paca (Cuniculus paca) and 20 spiny rats (Proechimys sp.). Contrary to common opinion, the results indicated a carrier state in the capybara. Diagnosis was based on morphology, behaviour in albino rats, and pathogenicity and host range in dome...
Farah AW, Hegazy NA, Romany MM, Soliman YA, Daoud AM.Twenty-three blood samples were used in this study; five were from five naturally infected horses with Babesia equi (B. equi), while eighteen were from asymptomatic horses with equine babesiasis from different localities in Egypt. All samples were subjected to microscopic examination, indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The carrier animals were microscopically detected in 7 out of 18 samples (38.8%) and in 9 of 18 by using IFA (50%), whereas PCR revealed that 14 samples were positive (78%). Two synthetic oligonucleotide primers, based on the B. equi me...
Miller FL, Bellaw JL, Lyons ET, Nielsen MK.Strongyloides westeri is a threadworm parasite found in the small intestine mainly in foals at up to about 4 months of age. This parasite is associated with small intestinal enteritis and diarrhea as well as skin irritation and a clinical syndrome called "frenzied behavior" due to percutaneous invasion. The aim of this study was to investigate S. westeri parasite burdens in age groups older than the initial lactogenic transmission phase. Secondary aims were to examine the impact of host age and gender on worm burden and egg output in naturally infected foals. Thirteen foals were enrolled in th...
Smets K, Shaw DJ, Deprez P, Vercruysse J.Between October 1996 and May 1997, 94 horses which were suspected of being infected with strongyles were examined clinically, and samples of faeces were examined for strongyle eggs and cyathostome larvae (L4) and adults. Blood samples were monitored for total protein, albumin and beta-globulins. In 28 of the horses (30 per cent) cyathostome L4 and adults were detected in the faeces, and were significantly associated with the horses' condition, the occurrence of diarrhoea, with lower concentrations of total protein and albumin, and with higher percentages of beta-globulin. Thirty-four of the ho...
Pittaway CE, Lawson AL, Coles GC, Wilson AD.Infection of horses with Anoplocephala perfoliata induces a severe inflammatory reaction of the caecal mucosa around the site of parasite attachment adjacent to the ileocecal valve. Lesions show epithelial erosion or ulceration of the mucosa with infiltration by eosinophils, lymphocytes and mast cells leading to oedema, gross thickening and fibrosis of the caecal wall. Despite this evidence of an inflammatory reaction to A. perfoliata within the mucosa of the caecum there is little information about the nature of the local immune response to A. perfoliata. An ELISA which assays serum IgG(T) an...
Reilly GA, Cassidy JP, Taylor SM.Detailed pathological examinations of two horses with subacute fatal diarrhoea suggested an association between the diarrhoea and damage to the colonic and caecal mucosae caused by large numbers of cyathostome larvae (larval cyathostomiasis). The affected animals deteriorated rapidly, and died after a short illness.
Barbosa-Santos EG, Marzochi MC, Urtado W, Queirós F, Chicarino J, Pacheco RS.Cutaneous disseminated lesions caused by Leishmania sp. were found in a pregnant mare (Equus cabalus) from a rural city in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before delivering, treatment was undertaken by immunotherapy followed by chemotherapy. Histopatology and serology were performed during treatment, as well as the biochemical characterization of the parasite (L. braziliensis) that was isolated from one of the lesions.
Boswinkel M, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.The importance of Anoplocephala perfoliata in horses with colic was studied in 139 horses referred for colic and 139 control horses with no signs of colic for at least three years. The serodiagnostic method of Proudman and Trees, which measures the level of A. perfoliata antibody, was used to detect A. perfoliata infection. Thirty-two horses were examined at necropsy, to determine whether the presence of A. perfoliata in the ileocaecal region was associated with the A. perfoliata antibody level. The mean A. perfoliata antibody level was significantly higher in horses with colic than in horses ...
Infection with Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common parasitic infections of human being and other warm-blooded animals. It has been found worldwide from Alaska to Australia. Public health organizations repeatedly encourage the collection of accurate data about T. gondii in animals and humans due to its medical importance as a major source of parasitic zoonosis. For these reasons, epidemiological updates on toxoplasmosis in livestock are strongly advised also to plan control strategies. In the present paper, seroprevalence data on T. gondii that have been recorded in livestock from diffe...
Epe C, Bienioschek S, Rehbein S, Schnieder T.Genomic DNA isolated from the four Dictyocaulus species D. viviparus, D. eckerti, D. filaria and D. arnfieldi was compared by random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD)-PCR to get additional information whether lungworms from fallow deer belong to a separate species (D. eckerti) or have to be regarded as an isolate of D. viviparus in wild ruminants. The resulting banding patterns of the electrophoresed PCR products were compared to assess the degree of genetic differences between the different lungworms. For the two D. viviparus isolates a similarity coefficient of 93.4%...
Leon A, Pillon C, Tebourski I, Bruyas JF, Lupo C.Abortions in horses represent an important health and economic challenge for equine industry. Primary causes of abortion are divided in non-infectious and infectious. Non-infectious causes include abnormalities of foetal appendices (umbilical cord and placenta essentially), abnormalities of gestation, maternal and foetal origins. Infectious abortions are caused in almost cases by bacterial infections, followed by viruses, fungi and parasites. New abortive pathogens (as Leptospira, Neospora caninum, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydophila abortus, and) have been confirmed in equines by comparison alre...
Yu F, Liu B, Chen S, Yi Z, Liu X, Zhu Y, Li J.A 5-year-old Mongolian mare (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) was observed to have corneal opacity and excessive ocular discharge. An ophthalmic examination revealed a moving thread-like cylindrical worm in the anterior chamber of the right eye. The parasite was successfully removed surgically. The worm was observed under light microscopy and confirmed as Setaria digitata by 12S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated similarity with Setaria digitata in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank database isolated from other Asian countries...
Malan FS, De Vos V, Reinecke RK, Pletcher JM.Infective larvae were harvested from a culture of eggs collected from adult Strongylus asini recovered from a free-ranging Burchell's zebra, Equus burchelli, in the Kruger National Park. Worm-free zebra, horse and donkey foals were successfully infested, but infestation failed in a mule foal. At slaughter, 117-125 days post-infestation, S. asini in their 4th moult were recovered from the liver and portal veins. This is the first report of successful experimental infestation of these hosts with S. asini.
Matthee S.Anthelmintic products form the basis of helminth control practices on horse stud farms at present. Regular evaluation of the efficacy of these products is advisable, as it will provide information on the worm egg reappearance period and the resistance status in the worm population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of doramectin, pyrantel pamoate, ivermectin and moxidectin on a Thoroughbred stud farm in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The study also compared the anthelmintic efficacy of two moxidectin formulations administered at their recommended dosages (an injectab...
Matuschka FR.The dog is the final host for sarcosporidia cysts from the oesophagus and diaphragm of donkeys from Sardinia. The prepatent period lasted 9 to 10 days. Sporocysts measured 12.2-13.8 X 9.2-9.9 microns. Infection of a horse with 10(5) donkey/dog sporocysts increased the rectal temperature to more than 40 degrees C on days 10 and 20 after infection. On day 138 p.i. predominantly immature cysts containing metrocytes were found, especially in the oesophagus. Infection on day 117 p.i. with 2 X 10(5) horse/dog sporocysts did not give rise to a temperature increase during the following 21 days. The fi...
Drudge JH, Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Lowry SR, Fallon EH.Observations were completed over an 18-year period (1966 through 1983) in Thoroughbred mares (15/year) and yearlings (11 to 24/year) on a farm where benzimidazole-resistant small strongyles had emerged previously (1962 to 1965). This farm was operated as a closed, nonboarding type, which included a racing stable for its home-bred foals. At 2-week intervals, counts of worm eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and larvae per gram of feces were done to monitor strongyle infections and efficacies of bimonthly (every 8 weeks) antiparasitic treatments that were administered by stomach tube or were fed (dich...
Arai K, Tagami M, Hatazoe T, Nishimatsu E, Shimizu Y, Fujiki M, Misumi K.We investigated the relationship between cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) levels in synovial fluid (SF), serum and urine and the development of osteochondral damage and osteophyte (OP) formation following intraarticular fractures of the carpus in racehorses in order to assess the clinical usefulness of COMP as a diagnostic biomarker of developmental osteoarthritis (OA). Two monoclonal antibodies (mAb clones 2A11 and 3C8) raised against equine COMP were shown to be capable of detecting the molecule in serum and urine as well as SF. Fifty-one samples were obtained from 26 OP-positive (...
