Transfer of adult Strongylus vulgaris via stomach tube.

This research investigated the transmission of the parasitic worm, Strongylus vulgaris, in horses through a nasogastric tube. Results demonstrated successful transfer and infestation in majority of the test subjects, providing opportunities for further investigations including treatments.

Background

• This research was conducted on the parasitic worm, Strongylus vulgaris, a common nematode worm affecting the large intestine of horses.
• The experiment aimed to explore the possibility of transmission of adult Strongylus vulgaris via nasogastric tube, which is a tube that passes through the nose and esophagus into the stomach.

Methodology

• The researchers used 8 helminth-free ponies for the experiment. Helminth is a term for parasitic worm, thus these ponies were free from any such parasites.
• Between 41 to 101 adult Strongylus vulgaris worms were transferred to these ponies through a nasogastric tube.
• The parasites used for transfer were extracted from the cecum (a pouch within the intestines) and ventral colon of donor horses. The transfer occurred within 1 to 2 hours of the donor horse’s death.

Results

• Within 2 or 3 days of the parasitic transfer, the researchers found eggs in the feces of the recipient ponies, suggesting successful transmission and establishment of the parasites within the ponies.
• The maximum count of eggs reached was 28 per gram of feces, recorded at 4 weeks after the ponies were infected.
• When 6 ponies were euthanized 3 to 7 weeks post-transfer, around 28% of the transferred worms were found alive inside them.
• A 7th pony was taken as a long-term study subject, kept as a parasite donor for other trials involving chemotherapy-based treatments. Even though this pony never exceeded a count of 6 eggs per gram of feces, it continued to shed infective larvae over a period of 2 years.

Conclusions

• The results of the study suggest that transmission of adult Strongylus vulgaris worms via a nasogastric tube can be successful, with the worms able to reproduce and establish a colony within a new host.
• The research offers insights into potential ways of studying parasitic infestations, conditions for parasite survival, and effectiveness of anti-parasitic treatments.