Evaluation of conventional PCR for detection of Strongylus vulgaris on horse farms.

The research investigates the effectiveness of the conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method in detecting the parasitic worm, Strongylus vulgaris, which is harmful to horses. This method was compared with the traditional larval culture method and also tested in both individual and grouped settings. The PCR technique proved to be significantly more efficient than the larval culture, while its effectiveness remained largely the same in both individual and pooled farm screenings.

Strongylus vulgaris Detection Methods

• The study was conducted to examine the performance of conventional PCR in identifying the presence of Strongylus vulgaris in horses, relative to the traditional method of larval culture.
• The latter technique, despite being the only currently available method of diagnosing S. vulgaris, is laborious and time-consuming. This often leads veterinarians to pool samples from multiple horses, which might affect the accuracy of the results.
• Meanwhile, the PCR technique has recently emerged as a new tool for detecting S. vulgaris in faeces samples. The research aimed to determine the efficacy of this method when employed individually or in pooled screenings.

Sample Collection

• Faeces samples were collected from a total of 331 horses residing on 18 different farms. The sizes of these farms varied, housing between six and 56 horses, with the ages of the horses ranging from two months to 31 years old.
• Both the larval culture and PCR methods were applied individually to each horse.
• Apart from individual testing, 66 pooled PCR tests were also conducted, which consists of samples from 3-5 horses each.

Research Findings

• Results of the tests revealed that the PCR method and the larval culture were able to detect S. vulgaris in 12.1% and 4.5% of the individual horses, respectively.
• At the farm level, eight were tested positive using the larval culture, while the individual and pooled PCR tests yielded positive results in 13 and 11 farms, respectively.
• Statistical data indicated the superiority of the individual PCR method over the larval culture in terms of accuracy.
• However, no significant statistical difference was found between the performances of individual and pooled PCR for farm screenings.

Conclusion

• The research concludes that the PCR technique, when employed in a pooled manner, can prove to be a valuable tool for farm screenings of S. vulgaris. This method is not only more efficient than the traditional larval culture but also demonstrates comparable effectiveness in both individual and pooled settings.