Comparative Analysis of Intestinal Helminth Infections in Colic and Non-Colic Control Equine Patients

摘要

The most important equine intestinal worm species include the roundworms Strongylus vulgaris and Parascaris spp. as well as tapeworms such as Anoplocephala perfoliata. These parasites reside in the small and large intestine and may cause various signs of disease, such as diarrhea, unthriftiness, or colic. However, following decades of routine anti-worm treatments, it is currently unclear what relevance these infections have in the context of colic under the prevailing situation. Therefore, we examined the signs of the presence of the infection concerning the above-mentioned parasites in 620 equine clinic patients, half of these admitted after being diseased with colic and the other admitted due to non-intestinal diseases. With approximately on third of all horses being positive for antibodies directed against S. vulgaris, we detected an unexpectedly high infection rate. With every tenth horse showing respective antibodies, also tapeworm infections were encountered in a considerable proportion of the examined horses. Somewhat unexpectedly, no association between worm infection and colic was detected. However, recent—i.e., during the last seven days—anthelmintic treatment was 2.4 times more often seen in horses showing signs of colic. Overall, the considerable S. vulgaris and tapeworm infection rates mean we should stay alert in continuing worm monitoring and control.