[The fist detection of Giardia spp. in horses in the Czech Republic].

This research reports the first detection of a parasite called Giardia spp. in horses in the Czech Republic. It provides detailed analysis of the occurrence, age range of horses affected, and treatment methods used in affected horses.

Study Overview

• The research involved preventive examination of 360 horses ranging from 5 months to 14 years old from different parts of Central Bohemia from January 1993 to June 1994.
• They found Giardia cysts in the excrement of 18 horses (5% of the examined horses). The horses affected were mostly aged between 2-4 years and there were two foals aged 3 and 6 weeks also affected.

Detailed Observation

• From March 1993 to June 1994, a more systematic and repeated observation was focused on a group of 38 racing horses aged between two to four years from two horse breeding farms around Prague.
• Out of 20 horses from one of the studs, 7 horses (35% of the horses from that unit), tested positive for Giardia spp. cysts.

Bacteriological Examination

• In concurrent bacteriological examinations of the Giardia infected horses, only a single horse was found to have pathogenic bacteria Rhodococcus equi and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in its excrement.
• The infected horse was administered a drug called Entizole, after which the bacteriological examination results were negative.

Cysts Observation

• The study also observed the size of the Giardia cysts. Out of 100 cysts, the sizes ranged from 12.8-16.0 x 9.6-11.2 microns with a mean size of 14.6 x 9.9 microns.
• No free trophozoites of Giardia were found in the examined horse excrement.
• On the basis of the morphological characteristics of the protozoan cysts and the structure of median bodies, the authors are confident that the flagellate found in horses belongs to the morphological group of G. intestinalis.