Prevalence, risk factors, and species diversity of strongylid nematodes in domesticated Thai horses: insights from ITS-2 rDNA metabarcoding.

Autor: Hamad MH; The International Graduate Program of Veterinary Science and Technology (VST), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok-10330, Thailand.; Infectious Diseases, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig-44511, Egypt.; Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Parasitology Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand., Jitsamai W; Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand., Chinkangsadarn T; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand., Ngangam TS; Faculty of Veterinary Science, Equine Clinic, Animal Hospital-Student Training Center, Chulalongkorn University, Nakorn Pathom, 73000, Thailand., Wattanapornpilom T; Veterinary and Agriculture Division 1, Veterinary and Remount Department, The Royal Thai Army, Kanchanaburi, 71000, Thailand., Naraporn D; Horse Farm and Laboratory Animal Breeding Center, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, The Thai Red Cross Society, Prachuap Khiri Khan, 77110, Thailand., Ouisuwan S; Horse Farm and Laboratory Animal Breeding Center, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, The Thai Red Cross Society, Prachuap Khiri Khan, 77110, Thailand., Taweethavonsawat P; Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Parasitology Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand. Piyanan.T@chula.ac.th.; Biomarkers in Animals Parasitology Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand. Piyanan.T@chula.ac.th.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Parasitology research [Parasitol Res] 2024 Dec 17; Vol. 123 (12), pp. 410. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Dec 17.
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08438-0
Abstrakt: Strongylid nematodes represent a major health and performance concern for equids globally. However, the epidemiology of strongylid infections in horse populations remains largely unexplored in Thailand. This study investigated the prevalence of strongylid parasites and the associated risk factors in domesticated horses in Thailand. Additionally, the study utilized ITS-2 rDNA metabarcoding to characterize the diversity and co-occurrence patterns of strongylid species. Of the 408 horses examined, 50.98% tested positive for strongyle infection, with an average intensity of 445.67 ± 639.58 eggs. Notably, only 25.74% exhibited fecal egg counts of ≥ 200 eggs per gram (EPG), highlighting the need for targeted deworming protocols. Significantly higher EPG values were observed in yearling horses (p = 0.001) and those kept in outdoor pastures (p = 0.0001). Metabarcoding identified 15 strongylid species, with Cylicostephanus longibursatus being the most abundant (mean relative abundance: 37.30%, SD = 31.16%). No Strongylus species were detected. Alpha diversity analysis revealed no significant differences in species richness and evenness across horse groups, while beta diversity analysis showed significant dissimilarities (p = 0.004), primarily driven by Cylicostephanus longibursatus, Cyathostomum pateratum, and Cylicostephanus calicatus, which contributed to over 60% of the variation. Species co-occurrence patterns were largely random, with a limited number of positive (n = 5) and negative (n = 2) species pair associations. These findings provide essential insights into the current state of strongylid infections in Thai horses and offer a foundation for future research and management strategies.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and informed consent: This study has been approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and the Institutional Biosafety Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University (IACUC No. 2331052; IBC No. 2231037). The study procedures were conducted following university guidelines, regulations, and biosafety policies. The owners of the horse farms willingly participated in the study, providing essential details about their horses, animal welfare, and the timing of the deworming protocol. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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