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Prevalence, intensity and seasonality of gastrointestinal parasites in abattoir horses in Germany

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Abstract

Prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites were studied through a longitudinal survey in 400 horses over a 17-month period in an abattoir in Germany. Three hundred and ten horses (77.5 %) were demonstrated harbouring endoparasites either by direct recovery of parasites from the digestive tract and/or in terms of faecal egg counts (strongyles). The following parasites were found (percentage prevalence, range of counts): Gasterophilus intestinalis larvae (2.25 %, 1–154), Gasterophilus nasalis larvae (0.25 %, 44), Trichostrongylus axei (11.0 %, 1–3,620), Habronema majus (8.0 %; 1–422), Habronema muscae (26.5 %, 1–3,563), Habronema spp. fourth-stage larvae (5.5 %; 1–1,365), Parascaris equorum (total prevalence 11.3 %; adults 8.8 %, 1–178; fourth-stage larvae 2.5 %, 5–2,320), Anoplocephala perfoliata (28.5 %, 1–2,013) and Paranoplocephala mamillana (1.0 %, 1–11). Strongyle eggs (≥10 eggs per gram of faeces) were recorded in 60.8 % of the horses (10–6,450 eggs per gram of faeces).

Prevalences of infection with T. axei, P. equorum and strongyles did not show a correlation to specific seasons. In contrast, a significant variation among seasons of collection was shown for the infection rates of Habronema spp. (p < 0.05) and A. perfoliata (p < 0.001). Seasonal prevalence of Habronema spp. infection was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in summer (39.0 %), autumn (34.8 %) and winter (36.5 %) than in spring (18.7 %), and A. perfoliata were significantly (p < 0.001) more often recorded during autumn (36.1 %) and winter (36.5 %) than in spring (17.3 %) and summer (15.9 %). Prevalences of T. axei, Habronema spp., strongyles and A. perfoliata in male and female horses were almost alike, but ascarids were significantly (p = 0.025) more often recorded in male than in female horses.

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  1. Merial GmbH, Kathrinenhof Research Center, Walchenseestr. 8-12, 83101, Rohrdorf, Germany

    Steffen Rehbein, Martin Visser & Renate Winter

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  1. Steffen Rehbein
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Correspondence to Steffen Rehbein.

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Rehbein, S., Visser, M. & Winter, R. Prevalence, intensity and seasonality of gastrointestinal parasites in abattoir horses in Germany. Parasitol Res 112, 407–413 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-012-3150-0

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