Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Observations on development of natural infection and species composition of small strongyles in young equids in Kentucky

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Early development and maturation of species of small strongyles have not been studied extensively. Most information is on the first appearance of strongyle eggs in feces of foals. However, species cannot be determined in this manner because of similarity of the morphological features of the eggs. To determine more definitive knowledge on development and species composition of natural infections of small strongyles, eight equid foals were necropsied and examined at various ages (31 to 92 days of age). The entire contents of the large intestine were examined, and all worms (6,671) recovered were identified. This was done to recover small strongyle specimens in an effort to find the stage of development of the worms for different time periods. The primary interest was to obtain data on the potential prepatent period. A total of 17 species of small strongyles were recovered. The earliest gravid female was Cylicostephanus longibursatus in a 57-day-old foal; then Cylicostephanus goldi was positive at 64 days, Cyathostomum catinatum at 68 days, Coronocyclus coronatus and Cylicostephanus calicatus at 70 days, Coronocyclus labiatus, Cylicocyclus leptostomus, Cylicocyclus nassatus, Cylicostephanus hybridus, and Cylicostephanus minutus at 74 days, and Cylicostephanus bidentatus at 92 days. While it is not known exactly when the foals began eating pasture vegetation (typically they begin to graze a short time after birth) and first ate infective free-living third-stage larvae, the results give an indication of the natural prepatent period of several species of small strongyles. Additional data are presented on the number of worms per foal, distribution of the worms in the parts (cecum, ventral colon, and dorsal colon) of the large intestine, and proportion of species found.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bucknell DG, Gasser RB, Beveridge I (1995) The prevalence and epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites of horses in Victoria, Australia. Int J Parasitol 25:711–724

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bucknell D, Hoste H, Gasser RB, Beveridge I (1996) The structure of the community of strongyloid nematodes of domestic equids. J Helminthol 70:185–192

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burger HJ, Bauer C (1987) Efficacy of four anthelmintics against benzimidazole-resistant cyathostomes of horses. Vet Rec 120:293–296

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collobert-Laugier C, Hoste H, Sevin C, Dorchies P (2002) Prevalence, abundance and site distribution of equine small strongyles in Normandy, France. Vet Parasitol 110:77–83

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crowell-Davis SL, Houpt KA (1985) Coprophagy by foals: effect of age, and possible functions. Equine Vet J 17:17–19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Drudge JH, Szanto J, Wyant ZN, Elam G (1963) Critical tests of thiabendazole as an antihelminthic in the horse. Am J Vet Res 24:1217–1222

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dvojnos GM, Kharchenko VA (1994) Strongilidy dikikh i domashnikh loshadej [Strongylida of wild and domestic horses]. Naukova Dumka, Kiev, p 234, In Russian

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysker M, Jansen J, Mirck MH (1984) Inhibited development of Cyathostominae in the horse in the early third stage. Res Vet Sci 37:355–356

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gasser RB, Hung GC, Chilton NB, Beveridge I (2004) Advances in developing molecular-diagnostic tools for strongyloid nematodes of equids: fundamental and applied implications. Mol Cell Probes 18:3–16

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gawor JJ (1995) The prevalence and abundance of internal parasites in working horses autopsied in Poland. Vet Parasitol 58:99–108

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Herd RP (1990) The changing world of worms—the rise of the cyathostomes and the decline of Strongylus vulgaris. Comp Cont Edu Pract Vet 12:732–736

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodgkinson JE (2006) Molecular diagnosis and equine parasitology. Vet Parasitol 136:109–116

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgkinson JE, Freeman KL, Lichtenfels JR, Palfreman S, Love S, Matthews JB (2005) Identification of strongyle eggs from anthelmintic treated horses using a PCR-ELISA based on intergenic DNA sequences. Parasitol Res 95:287–292

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ionita M, Howe DK, Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Kaplan RM, Mitrea IL, Yeargan M (2010) Use of a reverse line blot assay to survey small strongyle (Strongylida: Cyathostominae) populations in horses before and after treatment with ivermectin. Vet Parasitol 168:332–327

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan RM (2002) Anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of horses. Vet Res 33:491–507

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kornaś S, Gawor J, Cabaret J, Molenda K, Skalska M, Nowosad B (2009) Morphometric identification of equid cyathostome (Nematoda: Cyathostominae) infective larvae. Vet Parasitol 162:290–294

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzmina TA, Kharchenko VO (2008) Anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomins of brood horses in Ukraine and influence of anthelmintic treatments on strongylid community structure. Vet Parasitol 154:277–288

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzmina TA, Kharchenko VA, Starovir AI, Dvojnos GM (2005) Analysis of the strongylid nematodes (Nematoda: Strongylidae) community after deworming of brood horses in Ukraine. Vet Parasitol 131:283–290

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenfels JR, Kharchenko VA, Dvojnos GM (2008) Illustrated identification keys to strongylid parasites (Strongylidae: Nematoda) of horses, zebras and asses (Equidae). Vet Parasitol 156:4–161

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Love S, Murphy D, Mellor D (1999) Pathogenicity of cyathostome infection. Vet Parasitol 85:113–122

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons ET, Drudge JH, Tolliver SC (1988) Natural infections with Eimeria leukarti: prevalence of oocysts in feces of horse foals on several farms in Kentucky during 1986. Am J Vet Res 49:96–98

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons E, Tolliver S, Drudge J, Stamper S, Swerczek T, Granstrom D (1996) A study (1977–1992) of population dynamics of endoparasites featuring benzimidazole-resistant small strongyles (population S) in Shetland ponies. Vet Parasitol 66:75–86

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Collins SS, Drudge JH, Granstrom DE (1997) Transmission of some species of internal parasites in horses born in 1993, 1994, and 1995 on the same pasture on a farm in central Kentucky. Vet Parasitol 70:225–240

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Drudge JH (1999) Historical perspective of cyathostomes: prevalence, treatment and control programs. Vet Parasitol 85:97–112

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons ET, Swerczek TW, Tolliver SC, Bair HD, Drudge JH, Ennis LE (2000) Prevalence of selected species of internal parasites in equids at necropsy in central Kentucky (1995–1999). Vet Parasitol 92:51–62

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Collins SS, Drudge JH (2001) Transmission of endoparasites in horse foals born on the same pasture on a farm in central Kentucky (1996–1999). Vet Parasitol 97:113–121

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Ionita M, Lewellen A, Collins SS (2008) Field studies indicating reduced activity of ivermectin on small strongyles in horses on a farm in Central Kentucky. Parasitol Res 103:209–215

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McDonnell SM, Poulin A (2002) Equid play ethogram. Appl Anal Behav Sci 78:262–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Mfitilodze MW, Hutchinson GW (1985) The site distribution of adult strongyle parasites in the large intestines of horses in tropical Australia. Int J Parasitol 15:313–319

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ogbourne CP (1976) The prevalence, relative abundance and site distribution of nematodes of the subfamily Cyathostominae in horses killed in Britain. J Helminthol 50:203–214

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ogbourne CP (1978) Pathogenesis of cyathostome (Trichonema) infections of the horse. A review. Commonwealth Institute of Helmintnology, Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux of the United Kingdom, Farnham Royal, p 25, Misc Publ no. 5

    Google Scholar 

  • Osterman Lind E, Kuzmina T, Uggla A, Waller PJ, Höglund J (2007) A field study on the effect of some anthelmintics on cyathostomins of horses in Sweden. Vet Res Commun 31:53–65

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reinemeyer CR, Smith SA, Gabel AA, Herd RP (1984) The prevalence and intensity of internal parasites of horses in the USA. Vet Parasitol 15:75–83

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Round MC (1969) The prepatent period of some horse nematodes determined by experimental infection. J Helminthol 43:185–192

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Russell AF (1948) The development of helminthiasis in thoroughbred foals. J Comp Pathol 58:107–127

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva AVM, Costa HMA, Santos HA, Carvalho RO (1999) Cyathostominae (Nematoda) parasites of Equus caballus in some Brazilian states. Vet Parasitol 86:15–21

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soulsby EJL (1965) Textbook of veterinary clinical parasitology. Vol. 1. Davis, Philadelphia, p 1120

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiunov VI (1952) Epizootology of nodular trichonematinosis of large intestine of horses. Tr Kirov Sel Khoz Inst 8:119–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Todd AC, Kelley GW, Wyant ZN, Hansen MF, Hull FE (1949) Worm parasites in thoroughbred sucklings and weanlings. A survey of incidence, development, and control. Ky Agric Exp Stn Bull 541:24

    Google Scholar 

  • Todd AC, Hansen MF, Kelley GW, Wyant ZM, Hull FE (1950) The development of helminthiasis in thoroughbred foals in central Kentucky. Vet Med 45:181–186

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tolliver SC (2000) A practical method of identification of the North American cyathostomes (small strongyles) in equids in Kentucky. University of Kentucky, Lexington, p 37, SR-2000-1, Monograph

    Google Scholar 

  • Tolliver SC, Lyons ET, Drudge JH, Stamper S, Granstrom DE (1993) Critical tests of thiabendazole, oxibendazole, and oxfendazole for drug resistance of population-B equine small strongyles (1989 and 1990). Am J Vet Res 54:908–913

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Traversa D, Iorio R, Klei TR, Kharchenko VA, Gawor J, Otranto D, Sparagano OA (2007) New method for simultaneous species-specific identification of equine strongyles (Nematoda, Strongylida) by reverse line blot hybridization. J Clin Microbiol 45:2937–2942

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This investigation (Paper No. 10-14-104) was made in connection with a project of the University of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with the approval of the director. Appreciation is expressed to the Albert and Lorraine Clay Fellowship for partial financial support for one of the authors, Tetiana Kuzmina, to come as a visiting scientist from the Ukraine to the University of Kentucky to study parasites of equids. Research in the animals used in the study was approved by the University of Kentucky Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee under Protocol 2008–0257.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Science, Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546–0099, USA

    Eugene T. Lyons, Sharon C. Tolliver & Sandra S. Collins

  2. Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine, vul. B. Khmelnyts’kogo, 15, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine

    Tetiana A. Kuzmina

Authors
  1. Eugene T. Lyons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tetiana A. Kuzmina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sharon C. Tolliver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sandra S. Collins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eugene T. Lyons.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lyons, E.T., Kuzmina, T.A., Tolliver, S.C. et al. Observations on development of natural infection and species composition of small strongyles in young equids in Kentucky. Parasitol Res 109, 1529–1535 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2460-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2460-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation