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Home / Equine Research Bank / Parasitol Res / Predatory activity of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in eq...
Parasitology research2011; 110(2); 657-662; doi: 10.1007/s00436-011-2537-7

Predatory activity of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in equine strongyle infective larvae on natural pasture in the Southern Region of Brazil.

Abstract: Biological control is an alternative method to reduce the population of parasites through natural predators. A promising option of biological control in the reduction of infective larvae on pasture is the use of nematophagous fungi. In this study, the efficacy of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in controlling gastrointestinal nematode parasites in field-raised horses was tested. Ten foals with an average age of 12 months were divided in two groups: five males constituted the treated group and five females constituted the control group. Each group was introduced in a field of mixed pasture with approximately 5 ha. The treated group received the fungus D. flagrans at a concentration of 10(6) chlamydospores per kilogramme of animal body weight daily, mixed with horse food for 5 months. The control group did not receive the fungus. Samples were collected to perform eggs per gramme (EPG) counts weekly. Coproculture and collection of pasture were done monthly for larvae counting. No significant difference was observed in the EPG counting and in the number of larvae recovered from coprocultures, where cyathostomines, Strongylus and Trichostrongylus spp. were found after monthly larvae counting. No significant difference was observed in the EPG counts, and Trichostrongylus sp. was identified. The number of recovered larvae on pasture was significantly lower in the treated group in the last month of treatment, showing a reduction of 73.5% (p < 0.05). As such, the fungus was able to reduce the number of infective larvae in the pasture. Nevertheless, this did not reflect in a decrease of parasitic infection during the 5-month study period.
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Publication Date: 2011-07-12 PubMed ID: 21748346DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2537-7Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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 effectiveness of the Duddingtonia flagrans fungus as a biological control agent against parasitic worm infections in horses. The results indicate that, even though the use of the fungus significantly reduced the number of infective larvae in the horses’ grazing pasture, it did not lead to a decrease in the parasitic infection levels of the horses themselves over five months.

Research Details

  • The study’s primary focus is to test the efficacy of using the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans for controlling gastrointestinal nematode parasites in field-raised horses. Nematodes, sometimes referred to as worms, are common parasites in horses and cause various health issues.
  • For this study, ten foals averaging 12 months of age were divided into two groups: one group of five males (treated group) and another of five females (control group). These foals were kept in a field of mixed pasture of approximately 5 hectares.
  • The treated group was given D. flagrans daily for five months mixed in with their food. The fungus was delivered at a dose of one million chlamydospores per kilogram of the horse’s body weight. Conversely, the control group did not receive the fungus.

Observations and Findings

  • Researchers took weekly and monthly samples from each group to monitor the change in parasitic infection levels. They looked at the number of eggs per gram (EPG) in the foals’ feces and the total number of larvae in the pasture area.
  • There was no significant difference observed in the EPG counts between the treated and control group and in the number of larvae recovered from the horses’ fecal cultures in which cyathostomines, Strongylus, and Trichostrongylus spp. were found.
  • In the final month of treatment, there was a marked reduction (73.5%) in the number of larvae found on the pasture area used by the treated group, indicating that the fungus was indeed effective at reducing the overall population of infective larvae in the environment.
  • The failure for these environmental reductions to translate into lower infection rates within the horses suggests that larvae populations within the body may not be significantly impacted by the use of D. flagrans.
  • The study concludes that despite D. flagrans reducing the number of infective larvae in the pasture, it did not alleviate the parasitic infection within the horses over the course of the five-month research period.

Implications

  • The partial success of the treatment implies that biocontrol methods like D. flagrans may have potential in controlling environmental reservoirs of equine parasites, but further research is needed to develop more efficient treatments for direct parasitic infections within horses.
  • These results highlight the complex nature of parasitic infections and the challenges faced in developing effective control strategies. Nevertheless, the success at reducing larvae in the environment underscores the potential value of integrating such biocontrol agents into broader pest management strategies.

Cite This Article

APA
de Almeida GL, Santurio JM, Filho JO, Zanette RA, Camillo G, Flores AG, da Silva JH, de la Rue ML. (2011). Predatory activity of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in equine strongyle infective larvae on natural pasture in the Southern Region of Brazil. Parasitol Res, 110(2), 657-662. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2537-7

Publication

Parasitology research
ISSN: 1432-1955
NlmUniqueID: 8703571
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 110
Issue: 2
Pages: 657-662

Researcher Affiliations

de Almeida, Gisane Lanes
  • Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Santa Maria, S. Maria, Brazil.
Santurio, Janio Morais
    Filho, José Osvaldo Jardim
      Zanette, Régis Adriel
        Camillo, Giovana
          Flores, Alexandra Geyer
            da Silva, José Henrique Souza
              de la Rue, Mário Luiz

                MeSH Terms

                • Animals
                • Brazil
                • Duddingtonia / pathogenicity
                • Feces / parasitology
                • Female
                • Horse Diseases / parasitology
                • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
                • Horses
                • Larva / microbiology
                • Male
                • Parasite Egg Count
                • Pest Control, Biological / methods
                • Strongylida Infections / parasitology
                • Strongylida Infections / prevention & control
                • Strongylida Infections / veterinary
                • Strongylus / isolation & purification
                • Strongylus / microbiology
                • Trichostrongylus / isolation & purification
                • Trichostrongylus / microbiology

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                Citations

                This article has been cited 2 times.
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                2. Buske R, Santurio JM, de Oliveira CV, Bianchini LA, da Silva JH, de la Rue ML. In vitro influence of temperature on the biological control activity of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans against Haemonchus contortus in sheep. Parasitol Res 2013 Feb;112(2):473-8.
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