The use of age-clustered pooled faecal samples for monitoring worm control in horses.
Abstract: A study was performed on two horse farms to evaluate the use of age-clustered pooled faecal samples for monitoring worm control in horses. In total 109 horses, 57 on farm A and 52 on farm B, were monitored at weekly intervals between 6 and 14 weeks after ivermectin treatment. This was performed through pooled faecal samples of pools of up to 10 horses of the groups 'yearlings' (both farms), '2-year-old' (two pools in farm A), '3-year-old' (farm A) and adult horses (four pools on farm A and five pools on farm B), which were compared with the mean individual faecal egg counts of the same pools. A very high correlation between the faecal egg counts in pooled samples and the mean faecal egg counts was seen and also between the faecal egg counts in pooled samples and larval counts from pooled faecal larval cultures. Faecal egg counts increased more rapidly in yearlings and 2-year-old horses than in older horses. This implied that in these groups of young animals faecal egg counts of more than 200 EPG were reached at or just after the egg reappearance period (ERP) of 8 weeks that is usually indicated for ivermectin. This probably means that, certainly under intensive conditions, repeated treatment at this ERP is warranted in these young animals, with or without monitoring through faecal examination. A different situation is seen in adult animals. Based on the mean faecal egg counts on both farms and on the results of pooled samples in farm A, using 100 EPG as threshold, no justification for treatment was seen throughout the experimental period. However, on farm B values of 100 EPG were seen at 9 and 11, 13 and 14 and 14 weeks after ivermectin treatment in pools 10, 12 and 13, respectively. This coincided with the presence of one or two horses with egg counts above 200 EPG. The conclusion is that random pooled faecal samples of 10 adult horses from a larger herd, starting at the ERP and repeating it at, for instance, 4-week intervals, could be used for decisions on worm control. However, there would be a certain risk for underestimating pasture contamination through missing high-egg excreters. An alternative use of pooled samples would be as a cheap first screening to detect which adult horses really contribute to pasture contamination with worm eggs on a farm. All horses should be sampled and subsequently animals from 'positive' pools can be reexamined individually.
Publication Date: 2007-10-22 PubMed ID: 18037244DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.10.008Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Animal Health
- Animal Science
- Anthelmintic Resistance
- Anthelmintic Treatment
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Management
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Treatment
- Equine Health
- Equine Medicine
- Equine Research
- Fecal Egg Count
- Horse Management
- Ivermectin
- Parasites
- Veterinary Research
- Veterinary Science
- Young Horses
Summary
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The research article reports on a study that conducted weekly monitoring of worm control in horses, from 6 to 14 weeks following ivermectin treatment, using age-clustered pooled faecal samples. The key finding was a high correlation between faecal egg counts in pooled samples and mean individual counts, suggesting that faecal samples could be used to decide on worm control measures.
Study Conducted on Horse Farms
- The research was carried out on two horse farms with a total of 109 horses split between them.
- These horses were monitored at weekly intervals, from 6-14 weeks after they were treated with ivermectin, a medication used to treat many types of parasite infestations.
- The monitoring was accomplished through the use of pooled faecal samples taken from groups of up to 10 horses. These groups were clustered based on age, such as ‘yearlings’, ‘2-year-old’, ‘3-year-old’ and adult horses.
Findings from the Faecal Samples
- The study found a highly consistent correlation between the faecal egg (a common measure of worm infestation) counts in pooled samples and the average faecal egg counts of the same groups.
- It was observed that faecal egg counts increased more rapidly in younger horses (yearlings and 2-year-old horses) than in older horses. Such results suggest that these younger horses tend to reach faecal egg counts of more than 200 EPG (eggs per gram) at or just after the egg reappearance period (ERP) of 8 weeks that is generally indicated for ivermectin.
Implications and Recommendations for Worm Control
- Based on the findings, repeated treatment at the ERP is likely needed in these younger animals—whether faecal examination is employed for monitoring or not.
- The study also suggests that random pooled faecal samples of 10 adult horses from a larger herd, taken starting at the ERP and then every 4 weeks, could be a viable method for making decisions about worm control.
- However, the researchers caution that pasture contamination could be underestimated as this method might miss those horses which are high-egg excreters.
- An alternative option suggested is to use pooled samples as an inexpensive initial screening to identify which adult horses contribute significantly to pasture contamination with worm eggs. From there, those specifically identified can be reexamined individually.
Cite This Article
APA
Eysker M, Bakker J, van den Berg M, van Doorn DC, Ploeger HW.
(2007).
The use of age-clustered pooled faecal samples for monitoring worm control in horses.
Vet Parasitol, 151(2-4), 249-255.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.10.008 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Division of Clinical Infectiology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80165, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.eysker@vet.uu.nl
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Antiparasitic Agents / therapeutic use
- Feces / parasitology
- Helminthiasis, Animal / diagnosis
- Helminthiasis, Animal / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Ivermectin / therapeutic use
- Netherlands / epidemiology
- Parasite Egg Count / methods
- Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
- Population Surveillance / methods
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Veyna-Salazar NP, Cantó-Alarcón GJ, Olvera-Ramírez AM, Ruiz-López FJ, Bernal-Reynaga R, Bárcenas-Reyes I, Durán-Aguilar M. Occurrence of Giardia duodenalis in Cats from Queretaro and the Risk to Public Health.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Mar 20;13(6).
- Macdonald SL, Abbas G, Ghafar A, Gauci CG, Bauquier J, El-Hage C, Tennent-Brown B, Wilkes EJA, Beasley A, Jacobson C, Cudmore L, Carrigan P, Hurley J, Beveridge I, Hughes KJ, Nielsen MK, Jabbar A. Egg reappearance periods of anthelmintics against equine cyathostomins: The state of play revisited.. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023 Apr;21:28-39.
- Papaiakovou M, Wright J, Pilotte N, Chooneea D, Schär F, Truscott JE, Dunn JC, Gardiner I, Walson JL, Williams SA, Littlewood DTJ. Pooling as a strategy for the timely diagnosis of soil-transmitted helminths in stool: value and reproducibility.. Parasit Vectors 2019 Sep 16;12(1):443.
- Degarege A, Erko B, Mekonnen Z, Legesse M, Negash Y, Vercruysse J, Levecke B. Comparison of individual and pooled urine samples for estimating the presence and intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infections at the population level.. Parasit Vectors 2015 Nov 16;8:593.
- Kure A, Mekonnen Z, Dana D, Bajiro M, Ayana M, Vercruysse J, Levecke B. Comparison of individual and pooled stool samples for the assessment of intensity of Schistosoma mansoni and soil-transmitted helminth infections using the Kato-Katz technique.. Parasit Vectors 2015 Sep 24;8:489.
- Blanton RE, Barbosa LM, Reis EA, Carmo TM, Dos Santos CR, Costa JM, Aminu PT, Blank WA, Reis RB, Guimarães IC, Silva LK, Reis MG. The relative contribution of immigration or local increase for persistence of urban schistosomiasis in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015 Mar;9(3):e0003521.
- Mekonnen Z, Meka S, Ayana M, Bogers J, Vercruysse J, Levecke B. Comparison of individual and pooled stool samples for the assessment of soil-transmitted helminth infection intensity and drug efficacy.. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013;7(5):e2189.
- 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.
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