Cyathostomins: disease, resistance, control and new diagnostics

摘要

Nikki Walshe, equine clinician and lecturer in equine clinical studies in University College Dublin, outlines the presentation and management of the equine intestinal parasite, cyathostomins.Cyathostomins are widely recognised as the most pathogenic of equine intestinal parasites. They are ubiquitous in the environment and it is assumed that all grazing horses have some level of infection (Tolliver, Lyons and Drudge, 1987; Bucknell and Gasser, 1995). There are more than 50 recognised species but the pathogenicity and relevance of each species has yet to be deciphered. Cyathostomins can cause chronic disease, typically malabsorption and dysmotility, but can also manifest in acute larval cyathostominosis. This year, the Irish Equine Centre had five deaths confirmed due to larval cyathostominosis. With the rise of resistance to anthelmintics among cyathostomin populations, and the perceived increased in clinical disease, the use of diagnostics and an overview of anthelmintic protocols is needed now more than ever.