Are tapeworms associated with equine colic? A case control study.

This research investigates if there’s a connection between tapeworm infection and different types of colic in horses. Overall, the findings did not show a relationship, except for ileocaecal colic, which appeared more likely in horses with tapeworms.

Methodology

• The study analysed faeces samples from a total of 231 horses. The horses were divided into two groups – 116 of them had colic (abdominal pain) and the remaining 115 were “controls”, i.e., they did not have colic.
• The detection of tapeworms in these samples was conducted using a centrifugation/floatation method, which is a common laboratory technique used to identify parasites like tapeworms.

Key Findings

• The analysis found that tapeworm infection was generally not related to instances of colic in horses. This means that horses with or without tapeworms experienced colic at similar rates.
• However, when the research team looked into the data more deeply, especially focusing on the anatomical location of the colic-causing lesion within the horse’s body, they found something different when it came to ileocaecal colic.
• Ileocaecal colic is a specific type of colic, occurring in a particular anatomical site, namely ileocaecal junction where the small intestine meets the large intestine. Horses with tapeworms were found to have an increased risk of developing this particular type of colic.
• The research team checked whether other factors like the horse’s age, breed, or sex could be influencing the results, but no associations were found. This strengthens their conclusion that it’s the tapeworm infection that raises the risk for ileocaecal colic.

Conclusion

• This study suggests that while tapeworm infections may not increase the overall chance of horses suffering from colic, they do seem to be associated with a specific type of colic known as ileocaecal colic. This insight could be valuable in targeting measures to prevent and treat colic in horses.