Equine tapeworm infections in Italy: A nationwide coprological survey.

This research paper presents a 9-year nationwide survey in Italy on tapeworm infections in horses, revealing a relatively low infection rate but emphasizing the need for routine parasite control, particularly for grazing horses.

Objective of the Study

• The primary goal of this research was to investigate the prevalence of Anoplocephala spp. (a type of tapeworm) infections in horses across continental Italy over a span of nine years. This was driven by a lack of regional data and the rising concern about the potential pathogenicity (ability to cause disease) of tapeworm infections.

Methodology

• The study was conducted on 12,056 fecal samples collected from horses residing in all eighteen of Italy’s continental regions.
• To identify Anoplocephala spp. eggs, the researchers employed coprological examinations using the Proudman and Edwards (1992) method, with Sheather’s sugar solution as the flotation medium.

Results

• The results showed an overall prevalence rate of 3.7% (452 horses positive) for Anoplocephala spp. infection.
• The study also found significant associations between Anoplocephala spp. infection and factors like sex, age class, access to pasture, and living area.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Despite the low prevalence of Anoplocephala spp. as per the coprological analysis, the researchers suggested the constant inclusion of this parasite in helminth control programs due to the pathogenic potential it exhibits even at relatively low worm burdens.
• This recommendation was especially directed towards horses with access to pasture, implying that grazing horses are more susceptible to tapeworm infections.
• The authors then addressed the inherent low sensitivity of coprological methods for detecting cestode (tapeworm) infections, and proposed the use of antibody-based diagnostic methods like serum or saliva ELISA tests for more accurate information on the presence of tapeworm infections in horses.