A xenodiagnostic method using Musca domestica for the diagnosis of gastric habronemosis and examining the anthelmintic efficacy of moxidectin.

The research article confirmed the effectiveness of a xenodiagnostic technique involving houseflies, in detecting Habronema muscae infections in horses from a particular stable in Dubai, UAE. The study also evaluated the anthelmintic efficiency of moxidectin in treating the habronemosis and eliminating the infestation.

Research Objective

• The study aimed to diagnose Habronema infections in horses using a xenodiagnostic approach, involving houseflies as indicator hosts. Habronematidosis, caused by Habronema species, is a global issue affecting equines. The researchers wished to use this method to examine the extent of this parasitic infection in a stable in Dubai, where a stallion was suffering from cutaneous habronematidosis.
• Another objective was to evaluate the efficiency of an anthelmintic drug, moxidectin, in treating the habronemosis and eliminating stomach worms completely.

Methodology & Discovery

• The researchers began by diagnosing Habronema muscae infections in 18 of the 49 horses in the Dubai stable, using the xenodiagnostic test.
• Every horse in the stable received a single dose of 0.4 mg/kg body weight of moxidectin as a 2% gel given orally. The targeted treatment’s efficiency was then studied.
• The habronemosis was eventually terminated in all horses. The study tracked flies both before and after the medication. Two types of flies, Musca domestica and Stomoxys calcitrans, were identified on the farm. However, only M. domestica displayed natural infection with Habronema larvae before and shortly after the anthelmintic treatment.
• Subsequent examinations conducted monthly on flies captured at the farm, running for eight months following the treatment, gave negative results. This indicated no further presence of Habronema infection in the intermediate host (flies), suggesting the eradication of stomach worms in horses.

Conclusion

• The study confirmed the use of the described xenodiagnostic test as a practical tool to diagnose H. muscae infections in horses and assess the efficacy of anthelmintic treatment.
• The successful treatment with moxidectin and the subsequent cessation of natural infection in flies provide further support for the effectiveness of this drug.