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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Sci / Reduced Efficacy of Fenbendazole and Pyrantel Pamoate Treatm...
Veterinary sciences2021; 8(3); 42; doi: 10.3390/vetsci8030042

Reduced Efficacy of Fenbendazole and Pyrantel Pamoate Treatments against Intestinal Nematodes of Stud and Performance Horses.

Abstract: Nematodes are an important cause of disease and loss of performance in horses. Changes in the parasitic fauna of horses have occurred in the past few decades, making cyathostomins the major parasites in adult horses, while large strongyles have become less prevalent. spp. remains the most important parasite infecting foals and weanlings. Anthelmintic resistance is highly prevalent in cyathostomins and spp. worldwide and it must be factored into treatment decisions. To assess anthelmintic efficacy in Northern Italy, we sampled 215 horses from 17 sport and horse-breeding farms. Fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT) were used to assess anthelmintic efficacy. Copromicroscopic analysis was performed using MiniFLOTAC before treatment with fenbendazole, pyrantel pamoate or ivermectin, and repeated 14 days post-treatment. Strongyle-type eggs were detected in 66.91% of horses (CI95% 61.40-73.79%), while spp. was detected in 2.79% (CI95% 1.94-5.95%). Reduced efficacy against cyathostomins was observed for fenbendazole in 55.56% of the treated animals (CI95% 41.18-69.06%), and for pyrantel pamoate in 75% of animals (CI95% 30.06-95.44%). Ground-based actions must be set in place to promote the uptake of state-of-the-art worm control plans that will prevent clinical disease while minimizing the selection pressure of resistant parasites.
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Publication Date: 2021-03-05 PubMed ID: 33807857PubMed Central: PMC8001109DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8030042Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

This research investigates the decreasing effectiveness of fenbendazole and pyrantel pamoate in treating nematode infections in sports and stud horses in Northern Italy.

Background

  • Nematodes (parasitic worms) are a serious health concern in horses, impacting their performance and potentially causing disease.
  • Recent years have seen a shift in the type of parasites predominantly infecting horses – cyathostomins have become more prevalent in adult horses, while large strongyles are less common, and Parascaris spp. is the main parasite in foals and weanlings.
  • These parasites have shown increasing resistance to common anthelmintics (anti-parasitic drugs), which is a growing concern worldwide.
  • The study aims to ascertain the effectiveness of common anthelmintics in Northern Italy.

Methodology

  • The researchers collected samples from 215 horses based in 17 sport and horse-breeding farms.
  • The efficacy of the anthelmintics was assessed using fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT) – a standard method to evaluate the success of deworming treatment.
  • Two methods were compared: a copromicroscopic analysis using MiniFLOTAC before and after administering fenbendazole, pyrantel pamoate, or ivermectin to the horses.

Results

  • Cyathostomin eggs (an indicator of nematode infection) were found in over 66% of the horses, while Parascaris spp. was detected in just under 3%.
  • The anthelmintics showed reduced efficacy in a notable percentage of animals: fenbendazole was effective in only around 44% of cases, while pyrantel pamoate worked in only 25% of cases.

Implications

  • These findings emphasize the need for modern, sustainable worm control plans.
  • These should not only aim to prevent disease, but also minimize the development of further drug resistance among parasites.
  • More action and education are needed to promote the adoption of these strategies within the equine community.

Cite This Article

APA
Zanet S, Battisti E, Labate F, Oberto F, Ferroglio E. (2021). Reduced Efficacy of Fenbendazole and Pyrantel Pamoate Treatments against Intestinal Nematodes of Stud and Performance Horses. Vet Sci, 8(3), 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8030042

Publication

Veterinary sciences
ISSN: 2306-7381
NlmUniqueID: 101680127
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 3
PII: 42

Researcher Affiliations

Zanet, Stefania
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy.
Battisti, Elena
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy.
Labate, Federico
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy.
Oberto, Francesca
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy.
Ferroglio, Ezio
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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