Equine parasite control and the role of national legislation – A multinational questionnaire survey

Becher, A.M.; Doorn, D.C. van; Pfister, Kurt; Kaplan, Ray M.; Reist, Martin; Nielsen, Martin K.

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.07.001

Cited by 26 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In Denmark, where the concept was introduced in 1999, the figure was 50% [19]. One reason for this discrepancy was suggested to be differences in administration of the law and perhaps how rigidly the legislation was adhered to [19]. Thus, although almost a third of the owners in the present study did not use fecal analyses, compared to the above countries, the current use of FECs in Sweden appears comparatively high and shows a clear increase since selective treatment was enforced.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…However, before the prescription-only legislation was implemented, only 1% of owners were reported to use fecal analyses [25]. National differences in anthelmintic routines were recently described, with Denmark showing a much greater use of FECs than Austria, Netherlands, Germany and the United States [19]. Interestingly, the frequencies of use of FECs were very low (1.8% and 3.1%, respectively) in Germany and Austria, although these countries have allowed only the use of prescription anthelmintic drugs since 1975.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly, the frequencies of use of FECs were very low (1.8% and 3.1%, respectively) in Germany and Austria, although these countries have allowed only the use of prescription anthelmintic drugs since 1975. In Denmark, where the concept was introduced in 1999, the figure was 50% [19]. One reason for this discrepancy was suggested to be differences in administration of the law and perhaps how rigidly the legislation was adhered to [19].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As yet, there are few studies investigating how the prescription-only legislation has affected anthelmintic routines in Sweden and its possible effect on parasite-related disease in Swedish horses. Despite similar legislation in several European countries, there appears to be substantial national differences in how the law is implemented in practice [19]. Recently, an S. vulgaris prevalence of 61% was demonstrated in Swedish horse farms [22].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parasite Occurrence and Parasite Management in Swedish Horses Presenting with Gastrointestinal Disease—A Case–Control Study

Hedberg-Alm

Penell

Riihimäki

et al. 2020

Animals

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Simple Summary: Abdominal pain, colic, is a common clinical sign in horses, sometimes reflecting life-threatening disease. One cause of colic is parasitic infection of the gut. Various drugs, anthelmintics, can be used to reduce or eliminate such parasites. However, frequent use has led to problems of drug resistance, whereby many countries now allow anthelmintics to be used on a prescription-only basis. In Sweden, this has led to a concern that parasitic-related colic in horses is increasing. This study aimed to investigate whether horses with colic differed in parasitological status compared to horses without colic. A secondary aim was to collect information regarding current parasite control measures used by horse owners. Exposure to S. vulgaris, a parasite with the potential to cause life-threatening disease, appeared high as determined by the presence of antibodies in the blood. Horses with inflammation in the abdominal cavity had higher antibody levels than other causes of colic. Despite new legislation, 29% of owners did not use fecal analyses for parasites and the use of extended methods to diagnose specific parasites was low. Also, owners rarely used alternative methods to reduce the pasture parasite burden. The study suggests a need for education in the use of both fecal analyses and pasture management.Abstract: All grazing horses are exposed to intestinal parasites, which have the potential to cause gastrointestinal disease. In Sweden, there is a concern about an increase in parasite-related equine gastrointestinal disease, in particular Strongylus vulgaris, since the implementation of prescription-only anthelmintics approximately 10 years ago. In a prospective case-control study, parasitological status, using fecal analyses for strongyle egg counts, the presence of Anoplocephala perfoliata eggs and S. vulgaris Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as well as serology for S. vulgaris, were compared between horses presenting with or without gastrointestinal disease at a University hospital during a one-year period. Information regarding anthelmintic routines and pasture management was gathered with an owner-filled questionnaire. Although the prevalence of S. vulgaris PCR was 5.5%, 62% of horses were positive in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test and horses with peritonitis showed higher antibody levels for S. vulgaris, as compared to other diagnoses or controls. Overall, 36% of the horse owners used only fecal egg counts (FEC), 32% used FEC combined with specific diagnostics for S. vulgaris or A. perfoliata, and 29% dewormed routinely without prior parasite diagnostics. Effective management methods to reduce the parasitic burden on pastures were rare and considering exposure to S. vulgaris appears high; the study indicates a need for education in specific fecal diagnostics and pasture management.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parasite Occurrence and Parasite Management in Swedish Horses Presenting with Gastrointestinal Disease—A Case–Control Study

Hedberg-Alm

Penell

Riihimäki

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…infections in foals. Anthelmintic treatments for foals are typically applied in regular intervals without preceding diagnosis, and the efficacy of the selected anthelmintic is rarely assessed (Becher et al, 2018;Bolwell et al, 2015;Relf et al, 2014). Parascaris sp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk factors for equine intestinal parasite infections and reduced efficacy of pyrantel embonate against Parascaris sp.

Hautala

Näreaho

Kauppinen

et al. 2019

Veterinary Parasitology

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The importance of anthelmintic efficacy monitoring: results of an outreach effort

et al. 2019

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Equine parasite control and the role of national legislation – A multinational questionnaire survey

Cited by 26 publications

References 39 publications

Parasite Occurrence and Parasite Management in Swedish Horses Presenting with Gastrointestinal Disease—A Case–Control Study

Parasite Occurrence and Parasite Management in Swedish Horses Presenting with Gastrointestinal Disease—A Case–Control Study

Risk factors for equine intestinal parasite infections and reduced efficacy of pyrantel embonate against Parascaris sp.

The importance of anthelmintic efficacy monitoring: results of an outreach effort

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