The problem of diagnosing tapeworm infections in horses

Abbott, J. B.; Barrett, Eugene J.

doi:10.2746/042516408x262352

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The EquiSal ® Tapeworm test reports sensitivity and specificity of 83% and 85%, respectively, when a 1+ tapeworm cut‐off is applied (low burden = 0 tapeworm, moderate/high burden = 1+ tapeworm). In comparison, coprological diagnosis of Anoplocephala infection is highly variable, in part due to the sporadic release of tapeworm eggs, poor distribution of eggs in faeces, the FEC technique used and the burden present . Modified FEC methods, such as the centrifugation/flotation technique, are most sensitive, reporting up to 61% sensitivity; however, they are more time‐consuming and labour intensive than standard methods .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In comparison, coprological diagnosis of Anoplocephala infection is highly variable, in part due to the sporadic release of tapeworm eggs, poor distribution of eggs in faeces, the FEC technique used and the burden present . Modified FEC methods, such as the centrifugation/flotation technique, are most sensitive, reporting up to 61% sensitivity; however, they are more time‐consuming and labour intensive than standard methods . Sensitivity of the centrifugation/flotation technique can be increased to approximately 90% when diagnosing infections with >20 tapeworms present .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Targeted selective treatment strategies aim to reduce use of anthelmintics by exploiting diagnostics (for example, faecal egg count [FEC] analysis) to identify animals that require treatment to reduce shedding of worm eggs in faeces. In the UK, this has become relatively commonplace in worm control programmes and is of value for detecting nematode eggs but not cestode eggs; the excretion of A. perfoliata eggs is intermittent and eggs are unevenly distributed in faeces resulting in low sensitivity of coprological analysis . To address this, a serum‐based test to diagnose tapeworm was developed and has been commercially available for over a decade .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of a saliva‐based diagnostic test to identify tapeworm infection in horses in the UK

Lightbody¹,

Matthews

Kemp-Symonds

et al. 2017

Equine Veterinary Journal

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Use of a saliva‐based diagnostic test to identify tapeworm infection in horses in the UK

Lightbody¹,

Matthews

Kemp-Symonds

et al. 2017

Equine Veterinary Journal

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“…Cestode eggs are released when the gravid proglottids are detached from the tapeworm and shed in the faeces. Since the eggs are not evenly distributed in faeces, coproscopical analysis is not reliable and suffers from poor sensitivity [ 12 , 15 , 16 ]. Studies conducted using different faecal analysis methods for the detection of cestode eggs rated the semiquantitative combined sedimentation-flotation with concentrated sugar solution for flotation as the most sensitive coproscopical method [ 17 – 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigations on the occurrence of tapeworm infections in German horse populations with comparison of different antibody detection methods based on saliva and serum samples

Jürgenschellert

Krücken

Austin³

et al. 2020

Parasites Vectors

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Background Effective and sustainable worm control in horses would benefit from detailed information about the current regional occurrence of tapeworms. Different diagnostic methods are currently available to detect Anoplocephala spp. infections in horses. However, the format as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the methods vary considerably. Methods A coprological, serological and questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of tapeworm infections on 48 horse farms in the region of Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany. In total, faecal samples of 484 horses were analysed using the double centrifugation/combined sedimentation-flotation and mini-FLOTAC. Serum (n = 481) and saliva (n = 365) samples were analysed by ELISAs to determine antibody levels against Anoplocephala spp. 12/13 kDa excretory/secretory (E/S) antigens. Results Cestode eggs were detected in 0.6% of faecal samples (farm prevalence 6.3%) without differences between the two methods. In contrast, antibodies against Anoplocephala spp. were detected in 16.2% (farm prevalence 52.1%) and in 29.5% (farm prevalence 75.7%) of the serum and saliva samples, respectively. Both ELISA based methods for detection of tapeworms reported a greater number of infected animals requiring treatment than were positively identified by coproscopy. Logistic regression analysis identified permanent pasture access, large pastures and regular pasture changes and high strongyle egg counts as risk factors for positive serum antibody responses to Anoplocephala spp. while last treatment with praziquantel was protective. Other protective factors were the presence of foals and high numbers of horses on the farm. Daily removal of faeces from the pasture and horse age did not have a significant effect. Conclusions The findings of the present serological investigation indicate that tapeworm prevalence in Berlin/Brandenburg horse farms is much higher than would be anticipated by using conventional/coproscopic analyses. Moreover, the majority of tapeworm-positive horses had not received a cestocidal drug at their last treatment. Considering the already known low sensitivity of the coproscopic detection, the equine veterinary diagnostics can be enhanced by the use of antibody detection methods such as the saliva-based ELISA.

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“…Standard fecal egg count (FEC) methods, such as the McMaster method, are widely used for detecting cyathostomins and ascarids but, due to the way in which tapeworm eggs are released, these FEC methods are generally considered unreliable for the diagnosis of tapeworm infestation . It is particularly difficult to identify burdens of less than 20 tapeworms .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of a novel saliva‐based ELISA test for diagnosing tapeworm burden in horses

Lightbody¹,

Davis²,

Austin³

2016

Veterinary Clinical Pathol

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Background: Tapeworm infections pose a significant threat to equine health as they are associated with clinical cases of colic. Diagnosis of tapeworm burden using fecal egg counts (FECs) is unreliable, and, although a commercial serologic ELISA for anti-tapeworm antibodies is available, it requires a veterinarian to collect the blood sample. A reliable diagnostic test using an owner-accessible sample such as saliva could provide a cost-effective alternative for tapeworm testing in horses, and allow targeted deworming strategies. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to statistically validate a saliva tapeworm ELISA test and compare to a tapeworm-specific IgG(T) serologic ELISA. Methods: Serum samples (139) and matched saliva samples (104) were collected from horses at a UK abattoir. The ileocecal junction and cecum were visually examined for tapeworms and any present were counted. Samples were analyzed using a serologic ELISA and the saliva tapeworm test. The test results were compared to tapeworm numbers and the various data sets were statistically analyzed. Results: Saliva scores had strong positive correlations with both infection intensity (0.74) and serologic results (Spearman's rank coefficients; 0.74 and 0.86, respectively). The saliva tapeworm test was capable of identifying the presence of one or more tapeworms with 83% sensitivity and 85% specificity. Importantly, no high-burden (more than 20 tapeworms) horses were misdiagnosed. Conclusions: The saliva tapeworm test has statistical accuracy for detecting tapeworm burdens in horses with 83% sensitivity and 85% specificity, similar to those of the serologic ELISA (85% and 78%, respectively).

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The problem of diagnosing tapeworm infections in horses

Cited by 13 publications

References 12 publications

Use of a saliva‐based diagnostic test to identify tapeworm infection in horses in the UK

Use of a saliva‐based diagnostic test to identify tapeworm infection in horses in the UK

Investigations on the occurrence of tapeworm infections in German horse populations with comparison of different antibody detection methods based on saliva and serum samples

Validation of a novel saliva‐based ELISA test for diagnosing tapeworm burden in horses

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