[The prevalence of liver trematodes in equines in different cities of Turkey].

The research article examines the prevalence of liver trematode infections in different types of equines (horses, donkeys, and mules) across multiple cities in Turkey and concludes that although the prevalence is generally low, it is found to be more common in donkeys than in horses.

Methods of Research

• The study was conducted from March 2004 to April 2005 and involved testing a total of 117 equines, including 72 horses, 39 donkeys, and 6 mules in Ankara, Turkey, for liver parasites post-slaughter.
• Additionally, the researchers also examined a total of 620 feces samples from horses across multiple provinces including Bursa, Gemlik, Malatya, Eskişehir, and Ankara.
• The samples were analyzed using Benedict’s sedimentation method to search for indications of liver fluke infection, which would suggest the presence of trematodes.

Results of the Study

• Of the 117 equines, only 6 animals (5.1%) were found infected with liver flukes, and notably, all of them were donkeys.
• The researchers broke down the infections further to find that Fasciola hepatica represented 2.6% while Dicrocoelium dendriticum constituted 12.8% of infections in donkeys.
• Despite the low prevalence, trematode eggs were spotted in these horses.
• The research didn’t determine the significance of the results for different age groups (young-old) or genders (male-female) due to the overall low infection rates.

Conclusions from the Study

• The study concludes that the prevalence of liver trematodes is low among equines in cites examined in Turkey.
• It was found to be higher in donkeys compared to horses.
• Importantly, it is concluded that there are no clinical signs of helminthosis (infection by parasitic worms) due to the relatively small number of parasitic worms causing the infection.