Prevalence, Risk Factors and Diagnosis of Helminths in Thoroughbred Horses Kept at Training Centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Authors: Martins André V, Corrêa Laís L, Ribeiro Mariana S, Lobão Lucas F, Dib Laís V, Palmer João P S, de Moura Lucas C, Knackfuss Fabiana B, Uchôa Claudia M A, Molento Marcelo B, Barbosa Alynne da Silva
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Intestinal helminth infections remain a significant challenge in Thoroughbred training facilities, with researchers in Rio de Janeiro documenting a 71.9% prevalence across 520 horses sampled from six centres between 2019 and 2021. Young horses proved particularly vulnerable, with those under three years of age approximately eight times more likely to harbour strongylid infections and eleven times more likely to present egg counts ≥500 eggs per gram of faeces (EPG)—a threshold often used to guide treatment decisions. When comparing three different floatation solutions within the Mini-FLOTAC quantitative diagnostic technique, sodium chloride solution (1.200 g/mL density) demonstrated superior sensitivity for detecting high-EPG samples and identified more positive cases overall than zinc sulphate alternatives, though all three solutions showed substantial agreement in simple presence/absence diagnosis. The substantial variation between training centres (87.7% strongylid prevalence on one farm versus lower figures elsewhere) suggests that management practices significantly influence infection risk, highlighting the importance of tailored parasite control strategies based on facility-specific epidemiology. These findings reinforce that diagnostic method selection matters—particularly when quantifying parasite burdens to inform treatment thresholds—and that age-stratified monitoring and management protocols remain essential tools for controlling helminths in young racing stock.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Young Thoroughbreds (<3 years) at training centers require intensive parasitic monitoring and targeted anthelmintic protocols due to significantly higher infection rates and parasite burdens
- •Facilities should implement standardized fecal testing protocols using NaCl-based floatation solutions for reliable parasite detection and EPG quantification to guide treatment decisions
- •Regular coprological surveillance between training centers is essential, as prevalence varies considerably between facilities, suggesting different management practices and parasite control effectiveness
Key Findings
- •Overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 71.9% in Thoroughbred horses at training centers in Rio de Janeiro, with significant variation between facilities (up to 87.7% strongylids at farm C)
- •Horses younger than 3 years were 8 times more likely to be parasitized by strongylids and 11 times more likely to have egg counts ≥500 EPG
- •NaCl solution (1.200 g/mL) in Mini-FLOTAC technique demonstrated superior sensitivity for detecting high EPG samples compared to ZnSO4 solutions
- •Substantial agreement existed between floatation solutions for parasite diagnosis, but full agreement was not achieved when estimating egg counts