Understanding temporal and spatial distribution of intestinal nematodes of horses using faecal egg counts and DNA metabarcoding

This study reports the spatial and temporal distribution of ascarid and strongylid nematodes in Thoroughbred horses by age category across different climatic zones in Australia over an 18-month period. Faecal samples (n = 2046) from individual horses were analysed using the modified McMaster techniq...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary parasitology 2024-01, Vol.325, p.110094-110094, Article 110094
Main Authors: Abbas, Ghazanfar, Ghafar, Abdul, Beasley, Anne, Stevenson, Mark A, Bauquier, Jenni, Koehler, Anson V, Wilkes, Edwina J A, McConnell, Emma, El-Hage, Charles, Carrigan, Peter, Cudmore, Lucy, Hurley, John, Gauci, Charles G, Beveridge, Ian, Jacobson, Caroline, Nielsen, Martin K, Hughes, Kristopher J, Jabbar, Abdul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Australia
Australia - epidemiology
climatic zones
Cylicocyclus
Cylicostephanus
DNA barcoding
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic - veterinary
eggs
feces
Feces - parasitology
Female
Horses
internal transcribed spacers
intestines
Ovum
Parascaris
rain
ribosomal DNA
species
Strongyloidea - genetics
Strongyloides
Strongylus equinus
summer
Thoroughbred
veterinary parasitology
winter
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Summary:This study reports the spatial and temporal distribution of ascarid and strongylid nematodes in Thoroughbred horses by age category across different climatic zones in Australia over an 18-month period. Faecal samples (n = 2046) from individual horses were analysed using the modified McMaster technique for faecal egg counts (FECs). Strongylids were identified using PCR-directed next-generation sequencing of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. Yearlings had the highest prevalence (82%) of strongyle eggs followed by weanlings (79%), foals (58%), wet mares (49%) and dry mares (46%). For Parascaris spp., foals had the highest prevalence (35%) followed by weanlings (21%) and yearlings (10%). The highest mean FECs for Parascaris spp. were observed in foals (525 eggs per gram [EPG] of faeces) while those for strongyles were in yearlings (962 EPG). Among horses that were classified as adults at the time of sampling, 77% (860 of 1119) of mares were low (i.e.,
ISSN:0304-4017
1873-2550
DOI:10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.110094