Species composition of Gasterophilus spp. (Diptera, Oestridae) causing equine gastric myiasis in southern Italy: parasite biodiversity and risks for extinction.
Abstract: Horse gastrointestinal myiasis caused by larvae of Gasterophilus spp. (Diptera, Oestridae) flies has a worldwide distribution and, where present, it is primarily caused by larvae of Gasterophilus intestinalis and Gasterophilus nasalis. Other species, i.e., Gasterophilus inermis, Gasterophilus pecorum and Gasterophilus haemorrhoidalis, present in different or in the same regions of the gastrointestinal tract, were only occasionally reported in very limited areas of eastern European Countries and in central Italy. With the aim to contribute data on the species composition of Gasterophilus and on the seasonal variation of the infection pattern in southern Italy, 152 native horses were necropsied from January to December 2003 and Gasterophilus larvae were collected from the stomach, the small intestine and the rectum of each of them. On the whole, 125 (82.2%) horses were infected by larvae of Gasterophilus spp. and 214 second stage larvae (L2) and 13,342 third stage larvae (L3) collected. Five species of Gasterophilus were identified with the following prevalence: G. intestinalis=95.2%, G. nasalis=44.8%, G. inermis=15.2%, G. pecorum=2.6% and G. haemorrhoidalis=0.8%. L3 were retrieved throughout the observation period with the highest mean burdens from January to August 2003 while the lowest mean was registered from September to November 2003. L2 were collected in February-March 2003 and from September to December 2003. The majority of the animals (n=66, 43.4%) were infected with a single Gasterophilus species, however, 45 animals (29.6%) harboured 2 species, 12 animals (7.9%) 3 species and 2 animals (1.3%) 4 species. The trend of abundance in the L3 of G. intestinalis and G. nasalis, the most represented species, was highly concordant (r=0.5, p<0.001). A retrospective comparison of our results and of other data from four seasons of observation (1983-1986) in central Italy showed that the number of G. inermis, G. pecorum and G. haemorrhoidalis have been decreasing relative to G. intestinalis and G. nasalis which may suggest tendency toward the extinction of the three former species of Gasterophilus.
Publication Date: 2005-06-28 PubMed ID: 15978726DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.05.015Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article examines the types of Gasterophilus spp. that cause gastrointestinal myiasis in horses in Southern Italy. The study observes that G. intestinalis and G. nasalis are predominant, whereas G. inermis, G. pecorum, and G. haemorrhoidalis are less common and may be at risk of extinction.
Investigation into Gasterophilus spp. Presence
- 152 native horses from Southern Italy were examined during 2003 for the presence of Gasterophilus spp. larvae in the gastrointestinal tract.
- A total of 82.2% of these horses were found to have this type of larvae.
- A mix of second and third stage larvae were collected, with a total of 13,342 third stage larvae and 214 second stage larvae found.
Species Identification and Prevalence
- Five species of Gasterophilus were identified among the collected larvae and prevalence rates were recorded.
- G. intestinalis was the most common species, found in 95.2% of horses.
- The other four species were significantly less prevalent, with G. nasalis being the second most prevalent at 44.8%, and G. haemorrhoidalis being the least prevalent at only 0.8%.
Observation on Seasonality and Co-infection
- Observations regarding seasonal variation showed the highest mean burdens of larvae from January to August 2003, and the lowest burdens from September to November 2003.
- Most of the horses were infected with just one species of Gasterophilus. However, there were cases of co-infection, with two species found in 29.6% of horses, three species in 7.9%, and four species in a very small number of cases.
Species Trend and Risk of Extinction
- The abundance trend for G. intestinalis and G. nasalis was found to be highly concordant, suggesting similar rates of prevalence and infection.
- Comparing these findings to data from a previous four-year observation in Central Italy (1983 – 1986), a decrease in prevalence was observed in G. inermis, G. pecorum and G. haemorrhoidalis relative to G. intestinalis and G. nasalis. This may suggest a movement towards the extinction of the three former species.
Cite This Article
APA
Otranto D, Milillo P, Capelli G, Colwell DD.
(2005).
Species composition of Gasterophilus spp. (Diptera, Oestridae) causing equine gastric myiasis in southern Italy: parasite biodiversity and risks for extinction.
Vet Parasitol, 133(1), 111-118.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.05.015 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Health and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. d.otranto@veterinaria.uniba.it
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Diptera / classification
- Diptera / growth & development
- Female
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / epidemiology
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / parasitology
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Italy / epidemiology
- Larva
- Male
- Myiasis / epidemiology
- Myiasis / parasitology
- Myiasis / veterinary
- Prevalence
- Retrospective Studies
- Seasons
- Sex Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 19 times.- Zhang K, Zhou R, Huang H, Ma W, Qi Y, Li B, Zhang D, Li K, Chu H. Host feces, olfactory beacon guiding aggregation of intestinal parasites Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera: Gasterophilidae).. Parasitol Res 2022 Sep;121(9):2601-2613.
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- Huang H, Zhang K, Zhang B, Liu S, Chu H, Qi Y, Zhang D, Li K. Analysis on the relationship between winter precipitation and the annual variation of horse stomach fly community in arid desert steppe, Northwest China (2007-2019).. Integr Zool 2022 Jan;17(1):128-138.
- Zhang K, Huang H, Zhou R, Zhang B, Wang C, Ente M, Li B, Zhang D, Li K. The impact of temperature on the life cycle of Gasterophilus pecorum in northwest China.. Parasit Vectors 2021 Mar 1;14(1):129.
- Zhou R, Zhang K, Zhang T, Zhou T, Chu H, Ge Y, Wang C, Li K. Identification of volatile components from oviposition and non-oviposition plants of Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera: Gasterophilidae).. Sci Rep 2020 Sep 25;10(1):15731.
- Li XY, Pape T, Zhang D. Taxonomic review of Gasterophilus (Oestridae, Gasterophilinae) of the world, with updated nomenclature, keys, biological notes, and distributions.. Zookeys 2019;891:119-156.
- Li XY, Pape T, Zhang D. Gasterophilus flavipes (Oestridae: Gasterophilinae): A horse stomach bot fly brought back from oblivion with morphological and molecular evidence.. PLoS One 2019;14(8):e0220820.
- Attia MM, Khalifa MM, Mahdy OA. The prevalence of Gasterophilus intestinalis (Diptera: Oestridae) in donkeys (Equus asinus) in Egypt with special reference to larvicidal effects of neem seed oil extract (Azadirachta indica) on third stage larvae.. Open Vet J 2018;8(4):423-431.
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