Meta-analysis of cyathostomin species-specific prevalence and relative abundance in domestic horses from 1975-2020: emphasis on geographical region and specimen collection method.
Abstract: Cyathostomins infect virtually all horses, and concomitant infections with 10 or more species per horse is standard. Species-specific knowledge is limited, despite potential species bias in development of disease and anthelmintic resistance. This is the first meta-analysis to examine effects of geographical region and cyathostomin collection method on reported composition of cyathostomin communities. Methods: Thirty-seven articles published in English in 1975 or later, in which adults of individual species were systematically enumerated, were included. Seven regions; North America, South America, eastern Europe, western Europe, northern Europe, southern Africa, and Oceania, and three cyathostomin collection methods; (i) standard necropsy recovery from the large intestine, (ii) critical test collection from post-treatment feces and necropsy, and (iii) diagnostic deworming recovery solely from post-treatment feces, were considered. Generalized mixed linear models analyzed the effects of region and collection method on species-specific prevalence and relative abundance. Species richness was analyzed by mixed linear models. Results: Definitively, the most prevalent and relatively abundant species were Cylicocyclus nassatus (prevalence = 93%, relative abundance = 20%), Cylicostephanus (Cys.) longibursatus (93%, 20%), and Cyathostomum catinatum (90%, 16%). A bias toward horses with high infection intensities and cyathostomin collection from feces resulted in North American critical tests and eastern European diagnostic deworming overestimating the species-specific prevalence and underestimating the relative abundance of rare/uncommon species compared to respective intra-regional standard necropsies. North American critical tests underestimated species richness due partially to identification key errors. Inter-regional standard necropsy comparisons yielded some species-specific regional differences, including a significantly higher Cys. longibursatus prevalence and relative abundance in North America (92%, 33%) than in eastern Europe (51%, 7%) (P > 0.0001). Localization of critical tests to North America and diagnostic deworming to Eastern Europe precluded expansive 'region by collection method' interaction analyses. Conclusions: We provide substantial data to inform study design, e.g. effect and study size, for cyathostomin research and highlight necessity for method standardization and raw data accessibility for optimal post-factum comparisons.
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research is a comprehensive review and analysis of studies on the prevalence and relative abundance of cyathostomin species in horses which takes into account the geographical region and the cyathostomin collection method used.
Introduction and Methodology
The researchers compiled and analyzed 37 articles published since 1975 that provided detailed information about adult cyathostomin species found in horses. Cyathostomins are a group of parasitic worms that are commonly found in horses, with typical infections involving multiple species.
The articles encompassed data collected from seven geographical regions, namely North America, South America, eastern Europe, western Europe, northern Europe, southern Africa, and Oceania.
The study also took into consideration three main methods used for collecting cyathostomins: standard necropsy recovery from the large intestine, critical test collection from post-treatment feces and necropsy, and diagnostic deworming recovery solely from post-treatment feces.
Major Findings
The most commonly encountered species by prevalence (proportion of horses infected) and relative abundance (percentage of the total worm burden attributable to that species) were Cylicocyclus nassatus, Cylicostephanus longibursatus, and Cyathostomum catinatum.
The researchers found a pattern of overestimation of species-specific prevalence and underestimation of the relative abundance of rare/uncommon species when the horse subjects had high infection intensities and when cyathostomin collections were done from feces. This was particularly noted in the North American critical tests and the eastern European diagnostic deworming methods.
The study also found that the North American critical tests had a tendency to underestimate the total number of cyathostomin species present (species richness) due to errors in the identification keys used.
When comparing results obtained using the standard necropsy method, certain regional variations were noted, such as the notably higher prevalence and relative abundance of Cys. longibursatus in North America compared to eastern Europe.
Conclusions and Recommendations
From their analysis, the researchers emphasized the need for standard methods to be used when collecting and analyzing cyathostomins, as well as the importance of providing raw data for future comparisons.
By better understanding these region-specific and method-specific disparities, future research can improve its study design, logistics, and significance resulting in more robust and reliable outcomes in the field of cyathostomin research.
Cite This Article
APA
Bellaw JL, Nielsen MK.
(2020).
Meta-analysis of cyathostomin species-specific prevalence and relative abundance in domestic horses from 1975-2020: emphasis on geographical region and specimen collection method.
Parasit Vectors, 13(1), 509.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04396-5
Gawor J, Kornas S, Kharchenko V, Nowosad B, Skalska M. Intestinal parasites and health problems in horses in different breeding systems.. Med Weter 2006;3:331–334.
Kuzmina TA, Kharchenko VA, Starovir AI, Dvojnos GM. Application of the diagnostical deworming method for the horse intestinal helminths investigation.. Vestn Zool 2004;38:67–70.
Lichtenfels JR. Helminths of domestic equids. Illustrated keys to genera and species with emphasis on North American forms.. Proc Helminthol Soc Wash 1975;42:1–83.
Tolliver SC. A practical method of identification of the North American cyathostomes (small strongyles) in equids in Kentucky, USA.. Kentucky: Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Kentucky, Department of Veterinary Science; 2000.
Kuzmina TA, Kharchenko VA, Zvegintsova NS. Comparative study of the intestinal strongylid communities of Equidae in the Askania-Nova biosphere reserve, Ukraine.. Helminthologia 2007;44:62–69.
Kuzmina TA, Kornas S, Basiaga M, Kharchenko VA, Vyniarska A. Biodiversity of strongylids (Nematoda: Strongylidae) communities in domestic horses from Poland and Ukraine.. Helminthologia 2011;48:77–84.
Kuzmina TA. Analysis of regional peculiarities of strongylid (Nematoda, Strongylidae) biodiversity in domestic horses in Ukraine.. Vestn Zool 2012;46:e7–e15.
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Drudge JH, Granstrom DE, Stamper S, Collins SS. Transmission of some internal parasites in horses born in 1989 on a farm in Central Kentucky.. J Helminthol Soc Wash 1991;58:213–219.
Tolliver SC, Lyons ET, Nielsen MK, Bellaw JL. Transmission of some species of internal parasites in horse foals born in 2013 in the same pasture on a farm in Central Kentucky.. Helminthologia 2015;52:211–218.
Schankova S, Marsalek M, Wagnerova P, Langrova I, Starostova L, Stupka R. Cyathostominae distribution in experimentally infected ponies.. Helminthologia 2015;52:134–138.
Slivinska K, Dvojnos G, Kopij G. Helminth fauna of sympatric Przewalski’s Equus przewalskii Poljakov, 1881 and domestic horses E. caballus L, in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine.. Helminthologia 2006;43:27–32.
Lichtenfels JR, Kharchenko VA, Sommer C, Ito M. Key characters for the microscopical identification of Cylicocyclus nassatus and Cylicocyclus ashworthi (Nematoda: Cyathostominae) of the horse, Equuscaballus.. Proc Helminthol Soc Wash 1997;64:120–127.
Hung GC, Chilton NB, Beveridge I, McDonnell A, Lichtenfels JR, Gasser RB. Molecular delineation of Cylicocyclus nassatus and C. ashworthi (Nematoda:Strongylidae).. Int J Parasitol 1997 May;27(5):601-5.
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.
Louro M, Kuzmina TA, Bredtmann CM, Diekmann I, de Carvalho LMM, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Krücken J. Genetic variability, cryptic species and phylogenetic relationship of six cyathostomin species based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequences. Sci Rep 2021 Apr 15;11(1):8245.
Elghryani N, McAloon C, Mincher C, McOwan T, de Waal T. Comparison of the Automated OvaCyte Telenostic Faecal Analyser versus the McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC Techniques in the Estimation of Helminth Faecal Egg Counts in Equine. Animals (Basel) 2023 Dec 16;13(24).