Nevertheless, the main clinical finding related to Parascaris spp. In foals, these parasites can be found in up to 100% of cases and, according to its severity and stage, is characterised by nasal discharge, coughing, a rough or bristly hair coat, slow growth and occasional small intestine rupture following the heavy accumulation of worms. that predominantly affects the health status of young horses. Graphical AbstractĮquine ascariosis is a worldwide endoparasitic disease caused by Parascaris spp. The development of improved treatment protocols based on regular faecal examination combined with follow-up assessment of the efficacy of integrated action plans would prove beneficial in regard to animal health and anthelmintic resistance reduction in the field. Furthermore, the relevance of the infected horses over 6 years of age should not be underestimated as these represent a significant source of contamination for younger animals. Age (foals and yearlings) and outdoor rearing were identified to be significant risk factors for Parascaris spp. Despite the lower prevalence found compared to other European countries, ascariosis was concluded to represent a significant health challenge for horses reared in Italy, especially foals. Analysis of data based on sex and season did not show any significant differences. Statistically significant differences among prevalence rates were found between the different geographic areas of provenance and prevalence was found to be higher in horses reared outdoors compared to those raised indoors. eggs were found in 0.7% of the examined animals. Ascariosis rates tended to decrease significantly with age and, proportionally, 80.0% of the recorded Parascaris spp. eggs and an overall prevalence of 6.3% was found. ResultsĪmong the examined stables, 35.8% showed at least one horse to be positive for Parascaris spp. prevalence was tested against the animal’s age, sex, housing conditions, geographic provenance as well as the respective sampling season.
Individual rectal faecal samples collected during routine veterinary examinations were used and Parascaris spp. in a large population of Italian horses (6896 animals) using faecal egg counts, and further to identify risk factors associated with ascarid egg shedding.
For this reason, the present survey aims to describe, for the first time, the spread and infestation of Parascaris spp.
Despite the great number of horses reared in Italy, large-scale epidemiological surveys dealing with ascariosis prevalence in the country are not reported in the current literature. Equine ascariosis, caused by Parascaris spp., is a worldwide endoparasitic disease affecting young horses in particular.
0 kommentar(er)
