Repeatability of strongyle egg counts in naturally infected horses

Scheuerle, M.; Stear, M. J.; Honeder, A.; Becher, A.M.; Pfister, Kurt

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.08.021

Cited by 27 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…These results agree with those of 241 previous studies which sampled horses over longer periods (1-3 years) [12][13][14] and 242 shorter periods [11]. Each of these studies reported a high level of shedding 243 consistency in horses sampled from the general population.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…The authors concluded that, for 258 individual horses, the magnitude of the initial FEC was significantly positively 259 correlated to the maximal FEC of the subsequent eight counts [13]. In a further study, 260 the repeatability of strongyle egg counts was assessed in naturally infected horses 261 [14]. In that study, samples were collected over nine consecutive months, and 262 analysed using a McMaster method with an egg count detection limit of 20 epg.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using raw egg counts (i.e. the number of actual eggs 266 counted before applying the multiplication factor), the within-horse repeatability was 267 0.52 in all horses and 0.53 when horses that had received treatment were excluded 268 from the analysis [14]. Despite each of the studies described following different 269 counting methodology and distinctive statistical analyses, all demonstrate that 270 strongyle egg shedding in horses was consistent over short and longer sampling time-271 frames, especially in low egg shedding categories, indicating that such horses tend to 272 excrete low numbers of eggs in the absence of anthelmintic treatment, over a 273 prolonged period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast to these reports, one study examined strongyle egg 274 shedding consistency in ponies managed for conservation purposes, which remained 275 largely untreated with anthelmintic over several years, and found that shedding 276 consistency at individual level was generally weak [7]. In that study, FEC data were 277 analysed using general additive mixed models to estimate repeatability of FEC at 278 individual level and to test for differences in mean FEC amongst populations and age and 50 epg [7,[11][12][13][14]. In the current study, a more sensitive count method was used.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analysis of Strongyle Egg Shedding Consistency in Horses and Factors That Affect It

Lester

Morgan²,

Hodgkinson

et al. 2018

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

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12Strongyle egg shedding consistency in horses and factors affecting consistency were 13 investigated. Faecal samples were collected from 26 equine populations over one 14 grazing season. Samples were collected on four 'screening' occasions (S1-S4) and 15 FEC performed using a sensitive method (to 1 eggs per gram (epg) egg detection 16 limit). On each screening occasion, FEC were assigned an egg shedding category: 1 17 (<50 epg) to 7 (>500 epg); and a treatment category: <200 epg (no treatment) or ≥ 18 200 epg (treatment). Rank changes in shedding and treatment categories between S1 19 and subsequent screening occasions were calculated. Factors affecting the likelihood 20 of an individual changing shedding or treatment category were assessed using 21 multivariable logistic regression of FEC data from horses that had not received 22 anthelmintic during the study. In total, 573 horses were sampled at S1, 468 at S2, 417 23 at S3 and 83 at S4. Results showed that between S1 and S4, 73.5% (61/83) horses 24 remained in the same egg shedding category and 94.0% (78/83) in the same treatment 25 category. For horses that did not receive anthelmintic (n=304), 90.4% (225/304) 26 remained in the same egg shedding category. Horses under 5 years-old were more 27 likely to change egg shedding (odds ratio, OR 3.3,) and treatment 28 (OR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1-6.3) categories compared to older horses. These results suggest 29 a high level of consistency in strongyle egg shedding in individuals within one 30 season, and withholding anthelmintics from horses with negative or low (i.e. <50 epg) 31 FEC does not appear to be associated with significant increases in egg shedding. 32 33 34

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Analysis of Strongyle Egg Shedding Consistency in Horses and Factors That Affect It

Lester

Morgan²,

Hodgkinson

et al. 2018

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

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“…The most interesting findings brought forward by this work were obtained during the natural strongyle infection, from day 43 to 132 of the experiment (Figure 6A). Congruent with our initial hypothesis, the observed FEC matched the predicted resistance levels throughout the trial, hence supporting the high reproducibility of FEC (Debeffe et al, 2016; Scheuerle et al, 2016) and the feasibility to select for more resistant individuals (Kornaś et al, 2015). Observed FEC were associated with differing immune responses characterized by higher eosinophil and monocyte counts in R ponies and increased levels of circulating lymphocytes in S ponies during the infection, suggesting a direct functional relationship between parasite infection and immune response (Howitt et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Metagenomic signature of natural strongyle infection in susceptible and resistant horses

Clark

Sallé

Ballan

et al. 2017

Preprint

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Gastrointestinal strongyles are a major threat to horses' health and welfare. Given that strongyles inhabit the same niche as the gut microbiota, they may interact with each other. These beneficial or detrimental interactions are unknown in horses and could partly explain contrasted susceptibility to infection between individuals. To address these questions, an experimental pasture trial with 20 worm-free female Welsh ponies (10 susceptible (S) and 10 resistant (R) to parasite infection) was implemented for five months. Fecal egg counts (FEC), hematological and biochemical data, body weight and gut microbiota composition were studied in each individual after 0, 24, 43, 92 and 132 grazing days.The predicted R ponies exhibited lower FEC after 92 and 132 grazing days, and showed higher levels of circulating monocytes and eosinophils, while S ponies developed lymphocytosis by the end of the trial. Although the overall microbiota diversity remained similar between the two groups, R and S ponies exhibited sustained differential abundances in Clostridium XIVa, Ruminococcus, Acetivibrio and unclassified Lachnospiracea at day 0. These bacteria may hence contribute to the intrinsic pony resistance towards strongyle infection. Moreover, Paludibacter, Campylobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Clostridium III, Acetivibrio, members of the unclassified Eubacteriaceae and Ruminococcaceae and fungi loads were increased in infected S ponies, suggesting that strongyle and fungi may contribute to each other’s success in the ecological niche of the equine intestines. In contrast, butyrate-producing bacteria such as Ruminococcus, Clostridium XIVa and members of the Lachnospiraceae family decreased in S relative to R ponies. Additionally, these gut microbiota alterations induced changes in several immunological pathways in S ponies, including pathogen sensing, lipid metabolism, and activation of signal transduction that are critical for the regulation of immune system and energy homeostasis. These observations shed light on a putative implication of the gut microbiota in the intrinsic resistance to strongyle infection.Overall, this longitudinal study provides a foundation to better understand the mechanisms that underpin the relationship between host susceptibility to strongyle infection, immune response and gut microbiota under natural conditions in horses and should contribute to the development of novel biomarkers of strongyle susceptibility and provide additional control options.

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Epidemiological study on factors influencing the occurrence of helminth eggs in horses in Germany based on sent-in diagnostic samples

2023

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Gastrointestinal nematodes are ubiquitous parasites of grazing equines with Parascaris spp., and strongyles being the most relevant ones regarding the prevalence and potential disease severity. Despite their importance, epidemiological data regarding the presence and egg-shedding intensities of these parasites are scarce. Data from 1067 horse samples collected on German horse farms initially to compare diagnostic methods were used for epidemiological analyses. Due to its higher sensitivity, presence/absence data were based on a combined sedimentation/flotation technique while faecal egg counts were based on Mini-FLOTAC. For strongyles, 46.5% of the samples were positive and the median egg-shedding intensity was 40 (range 5–2590). In multivariate analyses, prevalence and egg-shedding intensity were significantly influenced by season, age group and sample type. The drug used for the last treatment and the number of foals on the yard only affected prevalence while the number of horses on the yard and sex were only significant for egg-shedding intensity. For Parascaris spp., a prevalence of 4.6% and a median egg-shedding intensity of 0 (range 5–905) were observed. In multivariate analyses, the age group, the time since the last anthelmintic treatment, presence and number of foals had significant effects on ascarid prevalence whereas egg-shedding intensity was significantly influenced by age group and season only. Parascaris occurred only on yards with foals, but with an increasing number of foals, Parascaris egg-shedding intensity decreased. Prevalence and egg-shedding intensity were influenced by different but partially overlapping variables for Parascaris and strongyles.

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Repeatability of strongyle egg counts in naturally infected horses

Cited by 27 publications

References 29 publications

Analysis of Strongyle Egg Shedding Consistency in Horses and Factors That Affect It

Analysis of Strongyle Egg Shedding Consistency in Horses and Factors That Affect It

Metagenomic signature of natural strongyle infection in susceptible and resistant horses

Epidemiological study on factors influencing the occurrence of helminth eggs in horses in Germany based on sent-in diagnostic samples

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