Copro-prevalence of Fasciola hepatica in Chilean breed horses in the province of Concepción, Chile.

This research studied the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica, a parasitic liver fluke, in owned Chilean breed horses from the province of Concepción, Chile. The study found that about 8% of the horses tested were carriers of the parasite. The prevalence of the parasite did not significantly vary with the horse’s age, sex, previous de-worming, or body condition.

Research Methodology

• The research was conducted in October 2017 in the province of Concepción, Chile on all of the owned Chilean breed horses. The research team examined stool samples from 124 horses, which included 45 females and 79 males. The age of the horses ranged from 7 months to 24 years old.
• The stool samples were obtained rectally from each horse and were analyzed using the Army Medical School (AMS III) method. This technique was used specifically to detect the presence of F. hepatica eggs, which is the reproductive phase of the parasite.
• Along with the stool samples, information regarding the horse’s age, sex, previous fasciolicide (anti-parasitic drug) application, and assessment of their body condition was also collected for the study.

Findings of the Study

• The research found that about 8% (ten out of 124 horses) were carriers of F. hepatica. These horses were infected with the parasite and acting as a reservoir to spread it further. This is important because the horses could potentially spread the parasite to other animals, especially ruminants (cud-chewing animals like cows and sheep), and even humans.
• Upon analyzing the data with the Fisher test, the research found no significant difference in the prevalence of F. hepatica between different age groups (young 8.47%, old 7.69%), sexes (female 11.1%, male 6.33%), previous application of fasciolicide (dewormed 10%, not dewormed 7.89%), or body condition (low condition 11.1%, high condition 0.7%). This indicates that neither age nor sex, deworming status, or body condition significantly influences the horse’s susceptibility to F. hepatica infection.

Implication of the Study

• The finding of this research highlights that the Chilean breed horses from the province of Concepción, Chile constitute a significant part of the reservoir for F. hepatica. Such a reservoir can be a source of infection for ruminant population as well as humans. Thus, appropriate control measures should be implemented to manage and prevent the spread of this parasite.