Strongylus equinus: development and pathological effects in the equine host.
Abstract: The development and pathological effects of Strongylus equinus were studied in 17 pony foals and one horse foal raised in isolation and examined at necropsy from seven days to 40 wk postinfection (PI). Following inoculation of 15000 +/- 6% or 16000 +/- 6% infective larvae by stomach tube foals were monitored for clinical signs and selected blood changes. Larvae penetrated the wall of the ileum, cecum and colon. The molt to the fourth stage occurred mostly in the wall of the ventral colon before 2 wk PI and larvae attained the liver mainly via the peritoneal cavity as early as eight days PI and persisted in the liver until 17 wk PI. Following active migration within the liver, invasion of the pancreas was accomplished at least by 7 wk PI with maximum numbers at 17 wk. The fourth molt occurred about 15 wk PI and preadults were present in the wall of the ventral colon at 30 wk PI and in the lumen of the colon at 40 wk. Strongylus equinus tends to wander retroperitoneally to the flanks, perirenal fat, diaphragm, omentum and occasionally to the lungs. Between 1 and 4 wk PI small raised hemorrhagic areas were present on the serosa of the ileum and colon. Small white foci on the surface of the liver at 1 wk PI were followed by tortuous tracks 3 wk later. Pathological changes in the pancreas were evident at three months PI and more severe by four months. Granulomas containing larvae were common in the flanks, diaphragm, omentum and occasionally beneath the pleura of the lungs. Clinical signs were correlated with invasion of the pancreas, the fourth molt, maximum globulin values and high eosinophil counts.
Publication Date: 1985-10-01 PubMed ID: 4075237PubMed Central: PMC1236195
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research article focuses on the development and pathological impact of a parasite, Strongylus equinus, on equine hosts, namely pony foals and a horse foal. It provides an understanding of how the disease progresses in the host, as well as the resulting clinical symptoms.
Study Design
- The researchers studied 17 pony foals and one horse foal, all raised in isolation.
- The foals were infected with Goodness of Culture infective larvae, via a stomach tube, and observed for clinical signs and changes in specific blood markers.
- Post-infection (PI), examinations were performed at necropsy at intervals ranging from seven days to 40 weeks.
Nature and Progression of Infection
- The infective larvae of the Strongylus equinus penetrated the walls of the ileum, cecum, and colon in the host.
- The larvae underwent its fourth-stage molt largely in the ventral colon and journeyed to the liver via the peritoneal cavity.
- The liver was infected as early as eight days PI, with the larvae residing there until about 17 weeks PI.
- After active movement within the liver, the larvae invaded the pancreas by at least seven weeks PI, with the peak number of larva achieved by 17 weeks PI.
Pathological Effects and Clinical Signs
- The Strongylus equinus caused deleterious effects by wandering towards the retroperitoneal area to the flanks, perirenal fat, diaphragm, omentum, and occasionally the lungs.
- It created hemorrhagic areas, raised small white foci on the liver surface, and benign inflammation or granulomas in the flanks, diaphragm, omentum, and pleura of the lungs.
- Noteworthy clinical signs included invasion of the pancreas, a fourth molt, and increased counts of globulin and eosinophil.
This study sheds light on the developmental and pathological journey of Strongylus equinus in equine hosts, offering insights into the timeline and mechanisms the parasite uses to infect, maneuver, and cause damage within the host. This may aid in the development of treatment approaches and preventive measures.
Cite This Article
APA
McCraw BM, Slocombe JO.
(1985).
Strongylus equinus: development and pathological effects in the equine host.
Can J Comp Med, 49(4), 372-383.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Intestines / pathology
- Larva
- Liver / pathology
- Male
- Nematode Infections / etiology
- Nematode Infections / pathology
- Nematode Infections / veterinary
- Pancreas / pathology
- Strongylus
- Time Factors
References
This article includes 8 references
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- Slocombe JO, McCraw BM. Gastrointestinal nematodes in horses in Ontario.. Can Vet J 1973 May;14(5):101-5.
- McCraw BM, Slocombe JO. Early development of and pathology associated with Strongylus edentatus.. Can J Comp Med 1974 Apr;38(2):124-38.
- Klei TR, Torbert BJ, Ochoa R, Bello TR. Morphologic and clinicopathologic changes following Strongylus vulgaris infections of immune and nonimmune ponies.. Am J Vet Res 1982 Jul;43(7):1300-7.
- Duncan JL, Pirie HM. The pathogenesis of single experimental infections with Strongylus vulgaris in foals.. Res Vet Sci 1975 Jan;18(1):82-93.
- Patton S, Drudge JH. Clinical response of pony foals experimentally infected with Strongylus vulgaris.. Am J Vet Res 1977 Dec;38(12):2059-66.
- McCraw BM, Slocombe JO. Strongylus edentatus: development and lesions from ten weeks postinfection to patency.. Can J Comp Med 1978 Jul;42(3):340-56.
- Amborski GF, Bello TR, Torbert BJ. Host response to experimentally induced infections of strongylus vulgaris in parasite-free and naturally infected ponies.. Am J Vet Res 1974 Sep;35(9):1181-8.
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Courtot É, Boisseau M, Dhorne-Pollet S, Serreau D, Gesbert A, Reigner F, Basiaga M, Kuzmina T, Lluch J, Annonay G, Kuchly C, Diekmann I, Krücken J, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Mach N, Sallé G. Comparison of two molecular barcodes for the study of equine strongylid communities with amplicon sequencing. PeerJ 2023;11:e15124.
- Alemayehu MT, Abebe BK, Haile SM. Investigation of Strongyle Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors in Horses in and around Alage District, Ethiopia. J Parasitol Res 2022;2022:3935008.
- Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Bousquet E, Bartz J, Heyer N, Nielsen MK, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Occurrence of Strongylid Nematode Parasites on Horse Farms in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany, With High Seroprevalence of Strongylus vulgaris Infection. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:892920.
- Jenkins E, Backwell AL, Bellaw J, Colpitts J, Liboiron A, McRuer D, Medill S, Parker S, Shury T, Smith M, Tschritter C, Wagner B, Poissant J, McLoughlin P. Not playing by the rules: Unusual patterns in the epidemiology of parasites in a natural population of feral horses (Equus caballus) on Sable Island, Canada. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020 Apr;11:183-190.
- Bonneau S, Maynard L, Tomczuk K, Kok D, Eun HM. Anthelmintic efficacies of a tablet formula of ivermectin-praziquantel on horses experimentally infected with three Strongylus species. Parasitol Res 2009 Sep;105(3):817-23.
- Mohtasebi S, Ahn S, Karimi M, Saberi M, Gilleard JS, Poissant J. Enhanced detection of equine strongyles: Insights from morphological and nemabiome metabarcoding approaches in northern Iran. Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):508-522.
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