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A comparison of coprological, serological and molecular methods for the diagnosis of horse infection with Anoplocephala perfoliata (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea).
Abstract: Anoplocephala perfoliata (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea), the commonest intestinal tapeworm of horses, can cause colic, intussusceptions, ileal impactions and intestinal perforations. Common diagnostic techniques for A. perfoliata infection, i.e. coprology and serology, show inherent limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity and new approaches are thus required. Hence, the present study compared the reliability of coprological, serological (i.e. ELISA) and molecular (i.e. nested PCR) methods in detecting A. perfoliata infection in naturally infected horses and in horses treated with a combination of ivermectin and praziquantel. Of 42 horses subjected to coprological examination, 16 and 26 resulted negative and positive, respectively for the presence of A. perfoliata eggs at the coprological examination. The 26 coprologically positive animals were also positive by nested PCR. Fifteen out of the 16 horses coprologically negative were negative at the molecular assay, while one yielded a PCR product detectable on an agarose gel. Eighteen out of 26 positive horses were treated with a combination of ivermectin 18.7 mg/g and praziquantel 140.3mg/g and resulted subsequently negative by coprology and nested PCR performed 2 weeks after treatment. All infected and untreated animals had a high ELISA test optical density indicating high infection intensity and associated risk of colic. However, high optical density values were also obtained in four horses post-treatment and in three horses that were negative on molecular and coprological analysis. The results of the present work indicate that the nested PCR assay represents a valid method for the specific molecular detection of A. perfoliata in faecal samples collected from naturally infected horses and may have advantages over coprological and serological approaches for diagnosing A. perfoliata infection.
Publication Date: 2008-01-08 PubMed ID: 18280660DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.12.032Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article provides a comparison study between coprological, serological and molecular methods for diagnosing horse infections of Anoplocephala perfoliata, a common intestinal tapeworm in horses. The study finds the molecular method, specifically a nested PCR assay, to offer distinct advantages over the other methods examined.
Methods Compared
- Three diagnostic techniques were compared: coprological (study of fecal matter), serological (study of blood serum), and molecular diagnosis through nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
- The techniques were used to detect Anoplocephala perfoliata infection in naturally infected horses and horses treated with a combination of ivermectin and praziquantel
Findings
- Out of 42 horses, 26 were found positive for A. perfoliata infection from coprological examination, and all of these were also positive by nested PCR.
- Out of the 16 horses that tested negative in the coprological examination, only one produced a detectable PCR product on agarose gel.
- Eighteen of the 26 positive horses were treated with a combination of ivermectin and praziquantel, and subsequently tested negative using coprology and nested PCR two weeks after treatment.
ELISA Test Results
- All infected and untreated horses had a high Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test optical density, indicating a high infection intensity and associated risk of colic.
- High optical density values were also found in four horses post-treatment and in three horses that were negative on the coprological and molecular analyses.
Conclusion
- The results demonstrated that the nested PCR method offers a specific, effective means of detecting A. perfoliata in fecal samples collected from naturally infected horses.
- Due to its sensitivity, this method may have advantages over coprological and serological approaches for diagnosing A. perfoliata infection.
Cite This Article
APA
Traversa D, Fichi G, Campigli M, Rondolotti A, Iorio R, Proudman CJ, Pellegrini D, Perrucci S.
(2008).
A comparison of coprological, serological and molecular methods for the diagnosis of horse infection with Anoplocephala perfoliata (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea).
Vet Parasitol, 152(3-4), 271-277.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.12.032 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Italy.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cestoda / isolation & purification
- Cestode Infections / diagnosis
- Cestode Infections / drug therapy
- Cestode Infections / epidemiology
- Cestode Infections / veterinary
- Confidence Intervals
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Feces / parasitology
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses
- Ivermectin / pharmacology
- Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Praziquantel / pharmacology
- Random Allocation
- Reproducibility of Results
- Sensitivity and Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Abbas G, Nielsen MK, E-Hage C, Ghafar A, Beveridge I, Bauquier J, Beasley A, Wilkes EJA, Carrigan P, Cudmore L, Jacobson C, Hughes KJ, Jabbar A. Recent advances in intestinal helminth parasites of horses in the Asia-Pacific region: Current trends, challenges and future directions. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2025 Dec;29:100622.
- Kukurić T, Erdeljan M, Matthews JB, Lightbody KL, Austin CJ, Peczak N, Uzelac A, Klun I, Simin S. A Prevalence Study on Anoplocephala spp. in Serbian Horses: Navigating Diagnostic Challenges and Understanding Infection Risks. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 16;15(14).
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- Ríos-Valencia DG, Ambrosio J, Tirado-Mendoza R, Carrero JC, Laclette JP. What about the Cytoskeletal and Related Proteins of Tapeworms in the Host's Immune Response? An Integrative Overview. Pathogens 2023 Jun 18;12(6).
- Hautala K, Pursiainen J, Näreaho A, Nyman T, Varmanen P, Sukura A, Nielsen MK, Savijoki K. Label-free quantitative proteomics and immunoblotting identifies immunoreactive and other excretory-secretory (E/S) proteins of Anoplocephala perfoliata. Front Immunol 2022;13:1045468.
- Živković S, Pavlović I, Mijatović B, Trailović I, Trailović D. Prevalence, Intensity and Risks Involved in Helminth Infections in Domestic Mountain Pony and Balkan Donkey in Nature Park Stara Planina, Serbia. Iran J Parasitol 2021 Apr-Jun;16(2):318-326.
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