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Topic:Parasites
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.
The efficacy of fenbendazole in the control of immature strongyle infections in ponies. The efficacy of fenbendazole against immature stages of Trichonema spp., Strongylus vulgaris and Strongylus edentatus was evaluated. Naturally infected 6 to 12 month old ponies were given single, oral doses of 0, 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg of body weight. A dose response relationship was noted between increasing dose levels and efficiency against larval trichonemes and migrating stages of S. vulgaris and S. edentatus. Dose levels of 30 mg/kg and higher removed 93 per cent of mucosal stages of Trichonema spp., while doses of 60 mg/kg removed 83 per cent and 89 per cent of the migrating larvae of S. vu...
Experimental Parascaris equorum infection of foals. Six worm-free pony foals, two to four months old, were infected with parascaris equorum eggs using three different dosage regimes and killed at either 40 or 95-100 days after infection. Coughing and a circulating eosinophilia were features of large infections from which only a small number of worms developed to maturity. In small infections a high percentage of the parasites matured in the small intestine and this was associated with unthriftiness. Pre-patent periods of 80 and 83 days were recorded.
Observations on development of Strongyloides westeri in foals nursing dams treated with cambendazole or thiabendazole. In 1 experiment, a prepatent period of 8 or 9 days was recorded for Strongyloides westeri in 4 pony foals raised worm-free but infected with parasitic 3rd stage larvae in the postpartum milk of a mare via gastric intubation. This is about 2 to 6 days less than the usual age that eggs of S westeri appear in the feces of naturally infected suckling foals, in central Kentucky.
In other studies, mares were treated with cambendazole or thiabendazole at 0 to 2 days after parturition and continued for 7 to 16 days. Appearance of S westeri eggs in feces of foals nursing treated mares was prevented ...
Sarcocystis fayeri sp. n. from the horse. Hearts, diaphragms, esophagi, and spinal cords from 266 horses were obtained at slaughter in Creston, Ohio. Tissues were examined microscopically for Sarcocystis in sections, digested in trypsin to obtain bradyzoites, and fed to 10 dogs and 10 cats. Intramuscular cysts were found in selections of two hearts from 57 horses and four esophagi from 107 horses. The cysts were up to 900 micron long and up to 70 micron wide. The cyst wall was 1 to 2 micron thick and cross-striated. The enclosed bradyzoites were banana-shaped, 15 to 20 by 20 to 3 micron, and contained several PAS-positive granules. Br...
Critical tests of the antiparasitic activity of thiabendazole and trichlorfon sequentially administered to horses via stomach tube. Thirteen critical tests were conducted in horses naturally infected with helminths and bots. Single doses of thiabendazole (44 mg/kg of body weight) and trichlorfon (40 mg/kg of body weight) powder formulations were administered as suspensions sequentially given via stomach tube to evaluate the efficacy of the combination against the large parasites of horses. Parasite removal efficacies were 100% against 2nd instar Gasterophilus intestinalis and 2nd and 3rd instar Gasterophilus nasalis and 82 to 100% against 3rd instar G intestinals. There were complete removals of mature and immature Parasca...
Immature stages of Trichonema spp as a cause of diarrhoea in adult horses in spring. Several incidents of diarrhoea and loss of weight occurred in adult horses during the spring of 1976. Detailed investigation of one typical case suggested that maturation of inhibited larvae of Trichonema spp was responsible.
Arteriography in ponies with Strongylus vulgaris arteritis. Radiographs of the aorta and abdominal arteries were obtained from a normal anesthetized pony following catheterization of a femoral artery for nonselective, semiselective or selective arteriography. The arteries had smooth borders and regular diameters and the branches of the cranial mesenteric artery could be followed distally on the angiogram through to the smaller branches proximal to the bowel wall. Following arteriography, the pony walked normally and there were minimal alterations of the levels of serum muscle enzymes and blood lactate. The procedures for arteriography were repeated in ...
An evaluation of ethyl-6-ethoxybenzothiazole-2-carbamate (Sch 18099) for anthelmintic activity in domestic animals. Ethyl-6-ethoxybenzothiazole-2-carbamate (Sch 18099) was evaluated for efficacy against natural helminth infections in ponies, pigs, lambs and chickens. Sixteen critical trials were conducted in ponies at dosages of 15 to 150 mg/kg. At 15 mg/kg, efficacy against adult and larval Oxyuris equi was 100% and 91% and against small strongyles it was 98%. Efficacy levels were 95% against Strongylus vulgaris and S. edentatus at the 20 mg/kg dosage. In two trials at 100 mg/kg efficacy against Parascaris equorum was 77%. No efficacy was observed against Gastrophilus spp. or Anoplocephala spp. In swine si...
Filarial infection of Equidae in the Tehran area of Iran. Microfilariae of three genera, namely Elaeophora böhmi, Onchocerca cervicalis and Parafilaria multipapillosa were recovered from blood samples of equidae in Tehran, Iran. These microfilarial infections in equidae are reported for the first time from Iran.
[Cochliatoxum periachtum Gassovsky, 1919, entodinimorphic Ciliate of the horse digestive tract]. The topography of Cochliatoxum periachtum is studied. The cuticle is very thick. The digestive, nuclear and excretory systems are located in the ectoplasm, they are not surrounded by the mesoplasm. The endoplasm is very large, it contains vegetable inclusions. By the features of its topography, this species is similar to some species belonging to the Family Ophryoscolescidae and, especially, to Eudiplodinium giganteum.
Liver fluke infection in horses and ponies. Thirty eight cases of Fasciola hepatica infection in horses with associated clinical signs are reported. A method of examining large amounts of faeces for fluke is described. A safe method of treatment for infected horses is given which involves oral medication with oxyclozanide at a dose rate of 15 ml/50 kg body weight.
Strain differences in Echinococcus granulosus, with special reference to the status of equine hydatidosis in the United Kingdom. The genetics of speciation in the genus Echinococcus are briefly discussed. As the organism is a hermaphrodite and multiplies asexually in the larval stage, the genetic mechanism for the ready production of new strains is inherent in the life-cycle. Some biological, biochemical and nutritional differences between the horse and sheep strains are examined. The sheep strain may be grown to sexual maturity, in vitro, in a diphasic system; the horse strain fails to grow in such a system. Differences have also been demonstrated between the soluble proteins of the two strains. The sheep strain is inf...
Experimental intraspinal trypanosoma equiperdum infection in a horse. To establish the ability of Trypanosoma equiperdum to cross the blood-brain-barrier in the horse, a susceptible stallion was infected via the cerebrospinal fluid of the subarachnoid space by lumbosacral puncture. Cerebrospinal fluid with low detectable levels of trypanosomes removed from a dourine-infected mare by lumbosacral puncture was used for infecting the animal. The parasite was detected in blood smears of the recipient 13 days after infection and the subsequent parasitaemia and clinical course of the disease followed that of naturally infected horses.
Thelazia lacrymalis in horses in Kentucky and observations on the face fly (Musca autumnalis) as a probable intermediate host. Eyes from 114 (30.3%) of 376 dead horses, examined from 3 April 1975 to 3 April 1976, were naturally infected with adult Thelazia lacrymalis; 1 horse was also infected with 1 male Thelazia skrijabini. Adult T. lacrymalis from dead horses were successfully transferred mechanically to the eyes of 3 of 4 Shetland ponies raised helminth-free. Larvae from gravid female T. lacrymalis underwent development in experimentally infected, laboratory-raised face flies (Musca autumnalis) and third-stage larvae ranging from 1.82 to 2.94 mm in total length were recovered at 12 to 15 days postexposure. A total...
Lungworm infection (Dictyocaulus arnfieldi) of horses and donkeys. Dictyocaulus arnfieldi (Cobbold 1884) infects the respiratory tract of horses, donkeys, mules, hinnies and zebra. A review of the literature has been given by Round (1972). In the western hemisphere it is popularly believed that donkeys are the natural host and that horses become infected by association with infected donkeys. There is scant documentary evidence for this and, in the Soviet Union, patent infections may reach 70 per cent without mention of donkey association (Koulikov 1935, Borovkova 1948, Akramovskii 1952a). Poynter (1963) considered the infection to be rare in the United Kingdo...
