Treatment of cyathostominosis with ivermectin and its influence on selected blood biochemical parameters.

The research focused on studying the effects of treating horse infections caused by a type of nematode with a drug called ivermectin. The study observed how this treatment affected levels of certain elements and proteins in the horse’s blood.

Understanding Cyathostominae Infections

• Cyathostominae are a subfamily of nematodes that infect almost all pastured horses. While these infections don’t always show clear symptoms, they can have significant health implications for the horses.
• One of the primary effects of these infections is a decrease in total protein levels in a horse’s blood.

Ivermectin Treatment

• Ivermectin is a drug commonly used to treat a variety of parasitic infections. In this study, it was used to treat horses infected with Cyathostominae.
• Following ivermectin treatment, researchers noticed a 100% reduction in the number of parasite eggs (FECs) excreted by the horses. Additionally, dead parasites were observed in their feces.

Impact of Ivermectin on Blood Biochemical Parameters

• Though the drug successfully reduced infection, its usage resulted in a decrease in iron (Fe) levels in the blood of treated horses.
• There was also an insignificant increase reported in total protein levels.

Iron Loss

• The decline in iron levels in the horses’ blood was found to be a result of bleeding from the large intestine. This bleeding is caused when adult nematodes (affected by the ivermectin) are removed from the intestine and fourth-stage larvae leave parasitic nodules in the intestinal wall.
• A drop in iron levels in infected horses’ blood could be an indirect indicator of the severity of a Cyathostominae infection, or cyathostominosis.

Considerations Post-Treatment

• Sixty days post-treatment, when parasite eggs started to reappear in the feces, a further decline in iron levels was observed.
• This suggests that while ivermectin effectively reduces the number of infecting parasites, the long-term effects of the infection and the treatment’s impact on iron levels merit additional examination.