Risk factors for high endoparasitic burden and the efficiency of a single anthelmintic treatment of Danish horses.
Abstract: A questionnaire survey regarding endoparasite control practices in Danish horse herds was carried out in 1995. The participating veterinarians and herd owners were sampled using convenience and purposive sampling. In the analysis of risk factors for development of a high endoparasitic burden (> 200 eggs per gram faeces) 903 horses were sampled and the analysis of the efficiency of a single anthelmintic treatment was based on 605 horses. The following factors had a significant effect on the endoparasitic burden: herd type, age of the horses, use of pasture rotation, anthelmintic treatment of horses visiting the herd, use of an adviser in the planning of endoparasite control and advice regarding pasture rotation. An interaction between pasture rotation and advice regarding pasture rotation was found, but due to high colinearity this was not reported. The factors influencing significantly on the reduction of the faecal egg count after a single anthelmintic treatment were the type of herd, the age of the horse, the drug used, and the anthelmintic-resistance-status of the herd. A negative effect of permanent pastures was observed. If pasture hygiene was performed on the advice of the veterinarian, the effect of a single anthelmintic treatment was less compared to a single anthelmintic treatment without any advice. An interaction between the treatment group and the resistance-status of the herd was found. Additional factors, normally accounted for, when endoparasites and anthelmintic resistance is discussed, were investigated, but not found significant in this study.
Publication Date: 2002-08-14 PubMed ID: 12173507PubMed Central: PMC1764195DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-43-99Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research study investigated the risk factors that cause high endoparasite infestation in Danish horses and the effectiveness of a single anthelmintic treatment. It was found that various factors influenced the burden of endoparasites and the potency of a single treatment.
Risk factors for endoparasite burden
- Data was collected from 903 horses through a survey in 1995. The risk factors were identified by analyzing those horses that developed high endoparasitic burden, characterized by over 200 eggs per gram of faeces.
- The factors that significantly influenced the endoparasitic burden include: the type of horse herd, the age of the horses, the use of pasture rotation, whether visiting horses received anthelmintic treatment, if an adviser was used in the planning of endoparasite control, and if advice was given on pasture rotation.
- An interaction was also noticed between pasture rotation and advice given on it. However, due to high colinearity this interaction was not reported.
Efficiency of a single anthelmintic treatment
- The study also examined the effectiveness of a single anthelmintic treatment on 605 horses.
- The key factors influencing the reduction of faecal egg count after a single anthelmintic treatment included: the type of the horse herd, the age of the horse, the drug used, and the resistance status of the herd towards anthelmintic medication.
- There was a negative effect of permanent pastures observed, implying that accessing these pastures could decrease the effectiveness of the treatment.
- The research also found that if pasture hygiene was performed based on a veterinarian’s advice, the effect of a single anthelmintic treatment was less compared to when it was performed without any advice.
- An interaction between the treatment group and the resistance status of the herd was observed. This means that the efficiency of the treatment can be impacted by the herd’s resistance to the anthelmintic drug.
- Additional factors normally considered in such research, like specific aspects of anthelmintic resistance and endoparasites were studied but were not found to be significant in this particular research.
Cite This Article
APA
Larsen MM, Lendal S, Chriél M, Olsen SN, Bjørn H.
(2002).
Risk factors for high endoparasitic burden and the efficiency of a single anthelmintic treatment of Danish horses.
Acta Vet Scand, 43(2), 99-106.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-43-99 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Science and Animal Health, Epidemiology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anthelmintics / pharmacology
- Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
- Denmark / epidemiology
- Drug Evaluation
- Drug Resistance
- Feces / parasitology
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / drug therapy
- Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / parasitology
- Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / veterinary
- Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
- Risk Factors
- Strongylida Infections / drug therapy
- Strongylida Infections / parasitology
- Strongylida Infections / veterinary
- Strongyloidea / drug effects
- Strongyloidea / growth & development
- Treatment Outcome
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Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Elghryani N, McOwan T, Mincher C, Duggan V, de Waal T. Estimating the Prevalence and Factors Affecting the Shedding of Helminth Eggs in Irish Equine Populations. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 7;13(4).
- Slivinska K, Klich D, Yasynetska N, Żygowska M. The Effects of Seasonality and Group Size on Fecal Egg Counts in Wild Przewalski's Horses (Equus Ferus Przewalskii, Poljakov, 1881) in The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine During 2014 - 2018. Helminthologia 2020 Dec;57(4):314-321.
- 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).
- Misuno E, Clark CR, Anderson SL, Jenkins E, Wagner B, Dembek K, Petrie L. Characteristics of parasitic egg shedding over a 1-year period in foals and their dams in 2 farms in central Saskatchewan. Can Vet J 2018 Mar;59(3):284-292.
- Hinney B, Wirtherle NC, Kyule M, Miethe N, Zessin KH, Clausen PH. A questionnaire survey on helminth control on horse farms in Brandenburg, Germany and the assessment of risks caused by different kinds of management. Parasitol Res 2011 Dec;109(6):1625-35.
- Hinney B, Wirtherle NC, Kyule M, Miethe N, Zessin KH, Clausen PH. Prevalence of helminths in horses in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. Parasitol Res 2011 May;108(5):1083-91.
- Francisco I, Arias M, Cortiñas FJ, Francisco R, Mochales E, Dacal V, Suárez JL, Uriarte J, Morrondo P, Sánchez-Andrade R, Díez-Baños P, Paz-Silva A. Intrinsic Factors Influencing the Infection by Helminth Parasites in Horses under an Oceanic Climate Area (NW Spain). J Parasitol Res 2009;2009.
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