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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / A Prevalence Study on Anoplocephala spp. in Serbian Horses: ...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(14); 2094; doi: 10.3390/ani15142094

A Prevalence Study on Anoplocephala spp. in Serbian Horses: Navigating Diagnostic Challenges and Understanding Infection Risks.

Abstract: spp. are common equine tapeworm species in Europe, frequently found in grazing horses. is the most pathogenic, clinically significant species associated with gastrointestinal disorders, particularly colic, and can have a fatal outcome in some horses. The aim of this study was to determine the infection prevalence of spp. in Serbia and to identify relevant risk factors. A total of 173 horses from various regions were tested using a combination of diagnostic methods: coprological analysis via combined sedimentation-flotation and the Mini-FLOTAC technique, as well as serological testing using a commercial ELISA test. The overall prevalence was 38.7%, with a higher number of positive cases being identified by serology. It was demonstrated that coprology and serology are complementary approaches for prevalence studies. Infection risk factors included high stocking density, free-roaming status and co-infection with nematodes, while lower rainfall and temperate climate were associated with reduced risk of tapeworm infection. These findings highlight the challenges of spp. detection and provide insight into the epidemiology of equine tapeworm infection in Southeastern Europe.
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Publication Date: 2025-07-16 PubMed ID: 40723557PubMed Central: PMC12291796DOI: 10.3390/ani15142094Google Scholar: Lookup
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Cite This Article

APA
Kukurić T, Erdeljan M, Matthews JB, Lightbody KL, Austin CJ, Peczak N, Uzelac A, Klun I, Simin S. (2025). A Prevalence Study on Anoplocephala spp. in Serbian Horses: Navigating Diagnostic Challenges and Understanding Infection Risks. Animals (Basel), 15(14), 2094. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15142094

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 14
PII: 2094

Researcher Affiliations

Kukurić, Tijana
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
Erdeljan, Mihajlo
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
Matthews, Jacqueline B
  • Austin Davis Biologics Ltd., Acorn Industrial Estate, Islip, Kettering NN14 3FD, UK.
Lightbody, Kirsty L
  • Austin Davis Biologics Ltd., Acorn Industrial Estate, Islip, Kettering NN14 3FD, UK.
Austin, Corrine J
  • Austin Davis Biologics Ltd., Acorn Industrial Estate, Islip, Kettering NN14 3FD, UK.
Peczak, Natalia
  • Austin Davis Biologics Ltd., Acorn Industrial Estate, Islip, Kettering NN14 3FD, UK.
Uzelac, Aleksandra
  • Institute for Medical Research, Institute of National Importance for the Republic of Serbia, Bulevar Oslobođenja 18, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Klun, Ivana
  • Institute for Medical Research, Institute of National Importance for the Republic of Serbia, Bulevar Oslobođenja 18, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Simin, Stanislav
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The non-UK-based authors (T.K., M.E., S.S., I.K., A.U.) declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. J.M., K.L., C.A. and N.P. are employees of Austin Davis Biologics Ltd., the commercial service provider of the serum tapeworm diagnostics used in this manuscript.

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