Horse infection with intestinal helminths in relation to age, sex, access to grass and farm system.
Abstract: A 11-year survey on helminth intestinal infection of horses was done in seven provinces of southern Poland. 21,641 faecal samples were collected from horses of different age, sex, breed and management system originating from 84 farms. Age was the major factor influencing the cyathostome egg excretion, the maximum being observed in yearlings and second year horses. Parascaris was found mostly in foals and yearlings. The main factor for Anoplocephala was the access to pasture. The level of cyathostome egg shedding (EPG) could be related to sex (geldings had higher values of EPG), breed (Thoroughbred had higher EPG than other breeds), and type of farm (large farms had higher EPG than others). The change during the survey of anthelmintic treatment (from benzimidazole or pyrantel embonate to avermectins) was associated with lower cyathostome EPG, and this was probably due to partial resistance to benzimidazole. The seasonality of egg shedding (lowest from November to January included) was due to management (leaving the pasture to stable, anthelmintic treatment in October). The influence of climate on EPG was significant but small, annual rainfalls and average temperature being associated negatively and positively, respectively, with high cyathostome EPG.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2010-09-16 PubMed ID: 20933334DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.09.007Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article describes an 11-year study carried out in Poland which investigated how different variables influenced the intestinal helminth infection in horses. These variables included age, sex, access to grass, and the farm system.
Research Methodology
- The study spanned over 11 years and collected data from seven provinces in southern Poland.
- Researchers examined 21,641 fecal samples taken from horses of varying attributes. These attributes included age, sex, breed, and the type of farm that the horses originated from.
- Different types of helminth infections were observed, and variables such as age, sex, farm type, access to pasture, and anthelmintic treatment, were taken into account to understand the influencing factors.
Findings
- Age was found to be the most significant factor affecting the cyathostome egg excretion, with the highest excretion found in yearlings and second-year horses.
- Parascaris infection was mostly observed among foals and yearlings.
- Access to pasture was the main determinant for Anoplocephala infection.
- Geldings were observed to have higher levels of cyathostome egg shedding (EPG) than other sexes.
- Among the breeds, Thoroughbreds had higher EPG values compared to others.
- Larger farms had higher EPG values in comparison to smaller farms.
- Change in the type of anthelmintic treatment from benzimidazole or pyrantel embonate to avermectins was found to be associated with lower cyathostome EPG, indicating a probable resistance to benzimidazole.
- The research also showed that the seasonality of egg shedding was the lowest from November to January, attributing this to management practices such as moving the horses from pasture to stable and providing them anthelmintic treatment in October.
Impact of Climate
- While the influence of climate on EPG proved to be significant, it was relatively small.
- Annual rainfall negatively affected cyathostome EPG, while average temperature had a positive correlation.
Cite This Article
APA
Kornaś S, Cabaret J, Skalska M, Nowosad B.
(2010).
Horse infection with intestinal helminths in relation to age, sex, access to grass and farm system.
Vet Parasitol, 174(3-4), 285-291.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.09.007 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Zoology and Ecology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.
MeSH Terms
- Aging
- Animal Husbandry
- Animals
- Feces / parasitology
- Female
- Helminthiasis, Animal / etiology
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Male
- Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
- Seasons
- Sex Characteristics
Citations
This article has been cited 16 times.- Courtot É, Boisseau M, Dhorne-Pollet S, Serreau D, Gesbert A, Reigner F, Basiaga M, Kuzmina T, Lluch J, Annonay G, Kuchly C, Diekmann I, Krücken J, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Mach N, Sallé G. Comparison of two molecular barcodes for the study of equine strongylid communities with amplicon sequencing.. PeerJ 2023;11:e15124.
- Bull KE, Allen KJ, Hodgkinson JE, Peachey LE. The first report of macrocyclic lactone resistant cyathostomins in the UK.. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023 Apr;21:125-130.
- Boisseau M, Mach N, Basiaga M, Kuzmina T, Laugier C, Sallé G. Patterns of variation in equine strongyle community structure across age groups and gut compartments.. Parasit Vectors 2023 Feb 11;16(1):64.
- Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Bousquet E, Bartz J, Heyer N, Nielsen MK, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Occurrence of Strongylid Nematode Parasites on Horse Farms in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany, With High Seroprevalence of Strongylus vulgaris Infection.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:892920.
- Zanet S, Battisti E, Labate F, Oberto F, Ferroglio E. Reduced Efficacy of Fenbendazole and Pyrantel Pamoate Treatments against Intestinal Nematodes of Stud and Performance Horses.. Vet Sci 2021 Mar 5;8(3).
- Slivinska K, Klich D, Yasynetska N, Żygowska M. The Effects of Seasonality and Group Size on Fecal Egg Counts in Wild Przewalski's Horses (Equus Ferus Przewalskii, Poljakov, 1881) in The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine During 2014 - 2018.. Helminthologia 2020 Dec;57(4):314-321.
- Scala A, Tamponi C, Sanna G, Predieri G, Dessì G, Sedda G, Buono F, Cappai MG, Veneziano V, Varcasia A. Gastrointestinal Strongyles Egg Excretion in Relation to Age, Gender, and Management of Horses in Italy.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Dec 3;10(12).
- Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Austin CJ, Lightbody KL, Bousquet E, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Investigations on the occurrence of tapeworm infections in German horse populations with comparison of different antibody detection methods based on saliva and serum samples.. Parasit Vectors 2020 Sep 10;13(1):462.
- Seeber PA, Kuzmina TA, Greenwood AD, East ML. Effects of life history stage and climatic conditions on fecal egg counts in plains zebras (Equus quagga) in the Serengeti National Park.. Parasitol Res 2020 Oct;119(10):3401-3413.
- Forteau L, Dumont B, Sallé G, Bigot G, Fleurance G. Horses grazing with cattle have reduced strongyle egg count due to the dilution effect and increased reliance on macrocyclic lactones in mixed farms.. Animal 2020 May;14(5):1076-1082.
- Sallé G, Kornaś S, Basiaga M. Equine strongyle communities are constrained by horse sex and species dipersal-fecundity trade-off.. Parasit Vectors 2018 May 2;11(1):279.
- Molena RA, Peachey LE, Di Cesare A, Traversa D, Cantacessi C. Cyathostomine egg reappearance period following ivermectin treatment in a cohort of UK Thoroughbreds.. Parasit Vectors 2018 Jan 25;11(1):61.
- Tomczuk K, Kostro K, Grzybek M, Szczepaniak K, Studzińska M, Demkowska-Kutrzepa M, Roczeń-Karczmarz M. Seasonal changes of diagnostic potential in the detection of Anoplocephala perfoliata equine infections in the climate of Central Europe.. Parasitol Res 2015 Feb;114(2):767-72.
- Tomczuk K, Kostro K, Szczepaniak KO, Grzybek M, Studzińska M, Demkowska-Kutrzepa M, Roczeń-Karczmarz M. Comparison of the sensitivity of coprological methods in detecting Anoplocephala perfoliata invasions.. Parasitol Res 2014 Jun;113(6):2401-6.
- Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Kuzmina TA. Investigation of strongyle EPG values in horse mares relative to known age, number positive, and level of egg shedding in field studies on 26 farms in Central Kentucky (2010-2011).. Parasitol Res 2012 Jun;110(6):2237-45.
- Kuzmina TA. Contamination of the environment by strongylid (Nematoda: Strongylidae) infective larvae at horse farms of various types in Ukraine.. Parasitol Res 2012 May;110(5):1665-74.
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