FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Parasitol / Parasite control strategies used by equine owners in the Uni...
Veterinary parasitology2017; 250; 45-51; doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.12.012

Parasite control strategies used by equine owners in the United States: A national survey.

Abstract: The widespread occurrence of anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites across the world has led to recommendations of fecal egg count-based parasite programs to reduce treatment intensity and thereby delay further development of resistance as much as possible. The most recent study describing equine parasite control in the United States was conducted 20 years ago, and little is known about current strategies employed. This study was part of the National Animal Health Monitoring Systems (NAHMS) Equine 2015 Study, and aimed to describe equine parasite control strategies in the U.S. and evaluate to which extent respondents were in compliance with current guidelines. The study was carried out in 28 states, representing 70.9% of all equine operations with at least five equids present. Two questionnaires were administered, either by mail or delivered in person by veterinary medical officers. Participants provided specific details of their operation and were asked questions about strategies for anthelmintic therapy and diagnostic testing. A total of 380 operations provided data regarding their parasite control practices. Most respondents dewormed 2-3 times a year with ivermectin being the most commonly used anthelmintic. About 22% of respondents used fecal egg counts (FEC) in some form, with less than 10% using them on a regular basis. Less than 5% made use of fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT). These results suggest little change since the last nationwide survey was conducted in 1998, as the majority of respondents did not report using FECs. This is in stark contrast to recent European surveys, where 50-60% of respondents were using FECs routinely. However, the anthelmintic treatment intensity appears to have been lowered compared to 1998. Taken together, these results suggest a continuing need for education and outreach regarding sustainable parasite control.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2017-12-16 PubMed ID: 29329623DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.12.012Google Scholar: Lookup
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.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

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.

The study investigates the strategies employed by equine owners in the United States for controlling parasites in horses, specifically in terms of use of fecal egg count-based programs and anthelmintic treatments. Findings highlight a lack of compliance with current guidelines and a need for more education regarding sustainable parasite control practices.

Background

  • The paper discusses the issue of anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites, which is a significant concern worldwide.
  • Reducing the intensity of treatment using fecal egg count-based parasite programs may slow the development of further resistance.
  • There has been no significant study describing the present equine parasite control strategies in the United States in the past 20 years, necessitating the current research.

Methodology

  • This study is part of the larger National Animal Health Monitoring Systems (NAHMS) Equine 2015 Study.
  • The survey covered 28 states, accounting for 70.9% of all equine operations with at least five equids.
  • Two questionnaires were administered either personally by veterinary medical officers or mailed to the participants.
  • Participants provided specific details about their operation and their strategies for anthelmintic therapy and diagnostic testing.

Findings

  • Data was provided by 380 operations about their parasite control practices.
  • Most respondents dewormed 2-3 times a year, with ivermectin being the most commonly used anthelmintic.
  • Only 22% of respondents used fecal egg counts (FEC) in any form, with less than 10% using it regularly.
  • Less than 5% made use of fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT).
  • The study found little change in the use of FECs since the last survey was conducted in 1998.
  • The use of FECs in the US contrasts starkly with European surveys, where 50-60% of respondents use FECs routinely.
  • However, the intensity of anthelmintic treatment seems to have been decreased compared to 1998.

Implications

  • The findings suggest a continued need for education and outreach concerning sustainable parasite control strategies.
  • The lack of compliance with current guidelines, especially the underuse of FEC-based programs, indicates that further efforts are needed to promote effective and responsible parasite control among equine owners in the US.

Cite This Article

APA
Nielsen MK, Branan MA, Wiedenheft AM, Digianantonio R, Garber LP, Kopral CA, Phillippi-Taylor AM, Traub-Dargatz JL. (2017). Parasite control strategies used by equine owners in the United States: A national survey. Vet Parasitol, 250, 45-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.12.012

Publication

Veterinary parasitology
ISSN: 1873-2550
NlmUniqueID: 7602745
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 250
Pages: 45-51

Researcher Affiliations

Nielsen, M K
  • M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA. Electronic address: martin.nielsen@uky.edu.
Branan, M A
  • USDA-APHIS-VS-STAS Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, National Animal Health Monitoring System, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Wiedenheft, A M
  • Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Digianantonio, R
  • Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Garber, L P
  • USDA-APHIS-VS-STAS Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, National Animal Health Monitoring System, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Kopral, C A
  • USDA-APHIS-VS-STAS Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, National Animal Health Monitoring System, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Phillippi-Taylor, A M
  • Division of Therapeutic Drugs for Non-Food Animals, Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA, Rockville, MD, USA.
Traub-Dargatz, J L
  • Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animal Husbandry / statistics & numerical data
  • Animal Husbandry / trends
  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
  • Communicable Disease Control / statistics & numerical data
  • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
  • Horses
  • Ivermectin / therapeutic use
  • Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States

Citations

This article has been cited 17 times.
  1. Mirzaei A, Rahmani Shahraki A, Maunsell FP, Diehl BN. Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance and Validation of an AI-Assisted Fluorescence Imaging Device for Fecal Egg Counts Against the Manual McMaster Reference Method in Kiko Male Goats. Animals (Basel) 2026 Jan 14;16(2).
    doi: 10.3390/ani16020248pubmed: 41594438google scholar: lookup
  2. Steuer A, Fritzler J, Boggan S, Daniel I, Cowles B, Penn C, Goldstein R, Lin D. Validation of Vetscan Imagyst(®), a diagnostic test utilizing an artificial intelligence deep learning algorithm, for detecting strongyles and Parascaris spp. in equine fecal samples. Parasit Vectors 2024 Nov 12;17(1):465.
    doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06525-wpubmed: 39533358google scholar: lookup
  3. Hamad MH, Islam SI, Jitsamai W, Chinkangsadarn T, Naraporn D, Ouisuwan S, Taweethavonsawat P. Patterns of Equine Small Strongyle Species Infection after Ivermectin Intervention in Thailand: Egg Reappearance Period and Nemabiome Metabarcoding Approach. Animals (Basel) 2024 Feb 8;14(4).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14040574pubmed: 38396542google scholar: lookup
  4. Medeiros PR, Figueiredo LS, de Melo UP, Mariz ALB, de Brito EL, Araújo IRDS, Silva ALDC, Costa MHDS, Ferreira C, Assis DB, da Silva CRM, de Souza AL, de Souza MPDS. Survey on sanitary practices and knowledge about infectious diseases among equine owners in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Braz J Vet Med 2023;45:e003323.
    doi: 10.29374/2527-2179.bjvm003323pubmed: 38090190google scholar: lookup
  5. Abbas G, Stevenson MA, Bauquier J, Beasley A, Jacobson C, El-Hage C, Wilkes EJA, Carrigan P, Cudmore L, Hurley J, Beveridge I, Nielsen MK, Hughes KJ, Jabbar A. Assessment of worm control practices recommended by equine veterinarians in Australia. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1305360.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1305360pubmed: 38026649google scholar: lookup
  6. Burcáková L, Königová A, Kuzmina TA, Austin CJ, Matthews JB, Lightbody KL, Peczak NA, Syrota Y, Várady M. Equine tapeworm (Anoplocephala spp.) infection: evaluation of saliva- and serum-based antibody detection methods and risk factor analysis in Slovak horse populations. Parasitol Res 2023 Dec;122(12):3037-3052.
    doi: 10.1007/s00436-023-07994-1pubmed: 37803152google scholar: lookup
  7. Osterman-Lind E, Hedberg Alm Y, Hassler H, Wilderoth H, Thorolfson H, Tydén E. Evaluation of Strategies to Reduce Equine Strongyle Infective Larvae on Pasture and Study of Larval Migration and Overwintering in a Nordic Climate. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 10;12(22).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12223093pubmed: 36428321google scholar: lookup
  8. Nielsen MK. Anthelmintic resistance in equine nematodes: Current status and emerging trends. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2022 Dec;20:76-88.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2022.10.005pubmed: 36342004google scholar: lookup
  9. Cain JL, Nielsen MK. The equine ascarids: resuscitating historic model organisms for modern purposes. Parasitol Res 2022 Oct;121(10):2775-2791.
    doi: 10.1007/s00436-022-07627-zpubmed: 35986167google scholar: lookup
  10. Dauparaitė E, Kupčinskas T, Hoglund J, Petkevičius S. A Survey of Control Strategies for Equine Small Strongyles in Lithuania. Helminthologia 2021 Sep;58(3):225-232.
    doi: 10.2478/helm-2021-0031pubmed: 34934386google scholar: lookup
  11. 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).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10122283pubmed: 33287298google scholar: lookup
  12. Tydén E, Enemark HL, Franko MA, Höglund J, Osterman-Lind E. Prevalence of Strongylus vulgaris in horses after ten years of prescription usage of anthelmintics in Sweden. Vet Parasitol X 2019 Nov;2:100013.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vpoa.2019.100013pubmed: 32904767google scholar: lookup
  13. Slusarewicz M, Slusarewicz P, Nielsen MK. The effect of counting duration on quantitative fecal egg count test performance. Vet Parasitol X 2019 Nov;2:100020.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vpoa.2019.100020pubmed: 32904743google scholar: lookup
  14. Scare JA, Leathwick DM, Sauermann CW, Lyons ET, Steuer AE, Jones BA, Clark M, Nielsen MK. Dealing with double trouble: Combination deworming against double-drug resistant cyathostomins. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2020 Apr;12:28-34.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2019.12.002pubmed: 31883485google scholar: lookup
  15. 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.
    doi: 10.1017/S1751731119002738pubmed: 31679547google scholar: lookup
  16. Leathwick DM, Sauermann CW, Nielsen MK. Managing anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomin parasites: Investigating the benefits of refugia-based strategies. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2019 Aug;10:118-124.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2019.08.008pubmed: 31491731google scholar: lookup
  17. Cain JL, Foulk D, Jedrzejewski E, Stofanak H, Nielsen MK. The importance of anthelmintic efficacy monitoring: results of an outreach effort. Parasitol Res 2019 Oct;118(10):2877-2883.
    doi: 10.1007/s00436-019-06423-6pubmed: 31422463google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.