Biology And Life Cycle Of Equine Parasitic Roundworms Of Horses Case Study
Investigation
1. Background
1.1. Biology and Life Cycle of Equine Parasitic Roundworms (Nematodes)
All grazing horses are infected with nematodes according the American Association of Equine Practitioners (2013). However, the impact on the health of the horse depends on the level of infection. Understanding how these parasites interact with the environment and host is crucial to finding ways on how to control them.
Nematodes form three life-cycle stages: eggs, larvae (which undergo four metamorphoses) and adults.
(Adapted from University of Liverpool (n.D.) )
Equine parasitic nematodes spend most their lives inside a horse’s stomach or intestines. Once inside the horse's body, whether ingested as an egg or larva, each worm has a different life cycle and migration pattern, but most are transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Worm burden in the individual host is dependent on the intake. Nematodes develop slowly so any resultant disease is slow in onset and chronic in nature …show more content…
Cyathostomins (Small Strongyles, superfamily of Strongyloidea)
More than 50 different species of cyathostomins, commonly known as small red-worms, exist according to Corning (2009). Cyathostomins are up to 2.5cm long, thin, and reddish in color (Briggs, 2008). Their average life cycle is six weeks, but can last as long as two years.
Cyathostomins hatch outside of the horse and are ingested through grazing in the infective larvae (L3) stage. They then migrate to the large intestine where they burrow within the intestinal mucosa and encyst themselves. At this point, they are quite resistant to anthelmintic treatment and may remain dormant for many months before they molt into the larvae stage (L4) (Briggs, 2008). Tens of thousands of these encysted larvae can line the horse’s gut wall, where they impair absorption of nutrients, possibly resulting in weight loss and
1. Background
1.1. Biology and Life Cycle of Equine Parasitic Roundworms (Nematodes)
All grazing horses are infected with nematodes according the American Association of Equine Practitioners (2013). However, the impact on the health of the horse depends on the level of infection. Understanding how these parasites interact with the environment and host is crucial to finding ways on how to control them.
Nematodes form three life-cycle stages: eggs, larvae (which undergo four metamorphoses) and adults.
(Adapted from University of Liverpool (n.D.) )
Equine parasitic nematodes spend most their lives inside a horse’s stomach or intestines. Once inside the horse's body, whether ingested as an egg or larva, each worm has a different life cycle and migration pattern, but most are transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Worm burden in the individual host is dependent on the intake. Nematodes develop slowly so any resultant disease is slow in onset and chronic in nature …show more content…
Cyathostomins (Small Strongyles, superfamily of Strongyloidea)
More than 50 different species of cyathostomins, commonly known as small red-worms, exist according to Corning (2009). Cyathostomins are up to 2.5cm long, thin, and reddish in color (Briggs, 2008). Their average life cycle is six weeks, but can last as long as two years.
Cyathostomins hatch outside of the horse and are ingested through grazing in the infective larvae (L3) stage. They then migrate to the large intestine where they burrow within the intestinal mucosa and encyst themselves. At this point, they are quite resistant to anthelmintic treatment and may remain dormant for many months before they molt into the larvae stage (L4) (Briggs, 2008). Tens of thousands of these encysted larvae can line the horse’s gut wall, where they impair absorption of nutrients, possibly resulting in weight loss and