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Equine Cyathostominae Can Develop to Infective Third Stage Larvae on Straw Bedding
Author(s) -
McGirr E.C.,
Denwood M.J.,
McGoldrick J.,
Love S.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/evj.12486_20
Subject(s) - straw , biology , incubator , feces , deep litter , zoology , bedding , veterinary medicine , litter , larva , agronomy , ecology , botany , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology
Reasons for performing study To determine whether horses could become infected with cyathostomins when bedded in deep litter straw. Objectives The specific objective of the study was to determine whether cyathostomin eggs could hatch and develop to infective larval stages on straw bedding. Study design Experimental study. Methods Four horticultural incubators were set up to simulate 3 straw bedding scenarios, and one grass turf control. Faeces were placed on 12 plots, and larval recoveries performed on samples of straw/grass over a 17‐day period. The plots within incubators A, B , and C contained dry straw, watered straw, and deep litter straw, respectively. Plot 1 of each incubator contained a faecal pat of a horse that tested negative for strongyle eggs – these were to serve as negative control plots. Plots 2 and 3 of each incubator contained a faecal pat from horses that had average faecal worm egg counts ( FWEC ) of 269 epg and 921 epg, respectively. A thermostat within each incubator was set to maintain an environmental temperature of approximately 20° C . Results No L3 larvae were recovered from the control plots of each incubator, and none were recovered from any of the plots within Incubator A. L3 larvae were first detected on plots 2 and 3 of Incubator B on Day 8, and on plot 3 of incubators C and D on Day 10. Conclusions It is evident that equine Cyathostominae can develop to infective L3 larvae on straw bedding, but only when the straw is moist. Therefore, it may be speculated that a horse bedded in deep litter straw may become infected by ingesting the infective L3 larvae contaminating the straw. Ethical animal research: Not applicable. Source of funding: E . C . M c G irr was supported by a World Horse Welfare Undergraduate Bursary 2014. Competing interests: None declared.