Pathological infection of thoroughbred horses with Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus.

The study demonstrates that Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus, contrary to traditional belief, can indeed infect and cause disease in horses. It discusses case histories, post-mortem findings, diagnosis techniques, and successful treatments for such infections.

Study Objectives and Methods

• The researchers sought to challenge the prevailing belief that Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus, a species of fluke typically found in waterfowl and amphibians, cannot infect horses. They based their investigation on instances of infections in a certain horse stud, including necropsy (post-mortem) findings.
• In order to diagnose the infection, they used a special technique called the flotation method. This method is commonly used in parasitology to separate parasite eggs and larvae from faecal material.

Findings and Conclusion

• The researchers found that Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus can in fact, infect horses, causing a disease referred to as a pathological infection. This contradicts previous beliefs that horses were immune to this particular parasite.
• The presence of eggs in horse feces was confirmed using the flotation method. This was significant because it allowed the researchers to establish a reliable diagnostic technique for these infections in horses.

Treatment and Application

• The researchers successfully treated the infected horses with hexachlorophene and dichlorvos, two chemicals known for their capacities to control parasitic worms.
• The successful treatment of the infected horses suggests that hexachlorophene and dichlorvos can be used in the prevention and management of Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus infection in horses.