No abstract

SummaryAn extensive analysis of the relationship between age, sex, and different types of management strategies relative to the gastrointestinal parasite community of Polish primitive horses was performed on 124 horses maintained in nine farms from four regions of Poland. The horses (96 females and 28 males) were housed in three types of management strategies: stabled (ST), free-ranging (FR) and semi-free (SF). These horses also were divided into three age groups: <3 years, 3 -10 years and >10 years old. The gastrointestinal parasites were collected following deworming of all horses with anthelmintics containing the macrocyclic lactones and praziquantel. Totally, 66,192 parasite specimens were collected and identifi ed. The analysis of dependence of horse infection with intestinal nematodes using sex, age and management strategies demonstrated that females had signifi cantly heavier infections of strongylids. Young horses (<3 years old) had higher infections of Parascaris equorum and Strongyloides westeri. Free ranging horses were more infected with strongylids, Oxyuris equi and Gasterophilus intestinalis. Thirty-fi ve nematode species, one cestode and one species of the botfl y larvae of Gasterophilus were found. Diagnostic deworming examination revealed presence of Parascaris equorum in 27.4 %, Oxyuris equi in 38.7 %, Habronema muscae in 16.9 %, Anoplocephala perfoliata in 42.7 % and Gasterophilus intestinalis in 46.8% in the Polish primitive horses examined. Strongyloides westeri presence was confi rmed only by fecal samples examination; threadworms were not observed in these horses after deworming. In the strongylid community, 31 species (6 of subfamily Strongylinae and 25 of Cyathostominae) were found. Significant differences in prevalence of separate strongylid species, or their proportions in the communities were not observed between females and males, or between age groups (p > 0.05). The highest species diversity (n=30 or 31) was observed in the FR horses, the lowest (n=15) -in ST horses. The FR horses had higher prevalence and proportion of large strongyles in the community, in comparison to SF or ST horses (p < 0.05).

SummaryThirty-one Polish primitive horses (Equus caballus) from three herds (two from the reserve and one from the stable) were dewormed with ivermectin+praziquantel and examined for the gastrointestinal parasite fauna. A total of 21.231 parasites were collected from the faeces at 24, 36 and 48 hours posttreatment. There were 35 nematode species, one cestode and one botfl y larva. Strongyloides westeri infection was confi rmed pretreatment by faecal sample examination and no threadworm specimens were found after deworming. Large and small strongyle prevalence was 90 % -100 % and represented by 31 species. Among a total of 25 cyathostome species recovered (from 19 to 24 in each group), fi ve species (C. catinatum, C. minutus, C. longibursatus, C. nassatus and C. ashworthi) had a prevalence of 100 % in three groups of horses. Meanwhile 14 species were 100 % prevalent in one herd. A total of six large strongyle species were found in adult horses. Oxyuris equi was recorded in 60 -100 % of the horses while Parascaris equorum was detected in 100 % of foals and 16.7 % -30 % of adult mares. Habronema muscae was found in 30 % of the horses from one free-ranging herd. Tapeworms (Anoplocephala perfoliata) were found in 90 % of the horses from one free-ranging group, whereas botfl y larvae (Gasterophilus intestinalis) were found in 50 -80 % of all surveyed horses. The present results are compared with earlier studies of Polish primitive wild horses from similar reserves in Poland. A total of 36 gastrointestinal parasite species were recorded from wild and stabled horses from the Biebrza National Park. This is in comparison with 35 such species in free-ranging and stabled horses from the Roztocze National Park and with 28 such species of free-ranginghorses from the Popielno forest reserve. Among parasites recovered, the highly prevalent S. vulgaris, tapeworms and botfl y larvae pose a serious risk of serious abdominal disorders in horses.

The study was performed to investigate the gastrointestinal parasite fauna using the method of diagnostic deworming in own modification in 29 Polish primitive horses (Equus caballus) from the Roztocze National Park, south-east of Poland. The parasite community was comprised of 35 species represented by three nematode families (Strongylidae, Ascaridae, Habronematidae), one cestode family (Anoplocephalidae) and larvae of insects from the family Gasterophilidae (Diptera). Strongylidae being 100 % prevalent was represented by 31 species from the subfamily Strongylinae (6 species) and Cyathostominae (25 species). Parascaris equorum was recorded in 48.3 %, Habronema muscae in 55.2 %, tapeworms (Anoplocephala perfoliata) in 24.1 % and Gasterophilus intestinalis larvae in 41.4 % of horses surveyed. The present results showed high prevalence of pathogenic intestinal parasites, which create the risk of health problems for horses living free in the reserve as well as stabled horses, when rarely treated.

The influence of internal and external parasites on the health of Polish konik horses housed in different types of management strategies in Poland is discussed. This study includes consolidated data of different authors from the past 50 years, supplemented by results of more recent research. A total of 38 species of helminths (i.e., 37 Nematoda and one Cestoda) and five Diptera species were recorded from the horses. Protozoan parasites, Cryptosporidium spp. and Theileria equi, and the Rickettsiales, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, were observed for the first time in Poland.