Biphasic appearance of corticated and decorticated ascarid egg shedding in untreated horse foals.

This research article studies the infection and shedding trends of a harmful parasite, Parascaris spp., in young, untreated horses. The results show a biphasic distribution of infection, with two distinctive peaks at different times, and suggest the need for close monitoring of parasite levels in horses of 8-10 months old.

Activities and Purpose of the Study

• The research focuses on studying the natural infection trend of Parascaris spp., a parasite that causes health issues in foals around the globe. The main aim was to understand the lifecycle of this parasite within the host and the pattern of its shedding in untreated foals.
• Regular monitoring of foals’ fecal samples was carried out during a span of 0-300 days of age.
• The study aimed to understand the implications of untreated parasitic infections and provide essential information for effective parasitic control strategies.

Methodology

• Researchers collected fecal samples from foals every month, starting from July 2014 to February 2015. The samples were used for fecal egg counts (FECs) and were analyzed with the Mini-FLOTAC method.
• The foals were necropsied between 154 and 298 days of age, and all intestinal ascarid were collected to identify their stages.

Results

• The fecal egg counts indicated a biphasic distribution: an initial peak at 91-120 days and a smaller second peak at 241-300 days of age.
• Comparison of corticated and decorticated ascarid eggs showed that decorticated FECs remained low, with a slight increase after the first corticated FEC peak. Decorticated eggs formed 4.36% of total ascarid eggs counted.
• Findings from the necropsy indicated a high number of ascarid specimens in foals between 8 and 10 months of age, coinciding with the second peak of fecal egg counts.
• Immature ascarid stages were found in 11 out of 13 foals, suggesting a recent reinfection.

Conclusion

• The research provides valuable insight into the presence of a second, smaller wave of infection in 8-10 month old foals, indicating the need for close monitoring of egg counts in this age group.
• This monitoring would ensure effective control of all categories of parasites and paving the way for an improved strategy for managing parasitic infections in horse foals.