Parasitology

Biography

Biography: Abdalla Fadlalla Azrug

Abstract

Bahrain is one of the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC countries which divided into 4 provinces occupying an area of about 770 km² extending from 25.32 and 26.20 N , 50.20 and 50.50 E with mainly two seasons represented by a short cold winter and long hot-humid summer. The total population of horses in Bahrain is estimated as 4760 where the majority of horses are kept under well-built and controlled private stable farms are used as racing competition horses. A cross sectional study was conducted during 2015-2016 for the purpose of studying the species of gastrointestinal parasites that found in horse population in various areas of Bahrain. A total of 372 horses from 54 different stable farms were randomly selected and fresh fecal samples collected and examined in Bahrain Central Veterinary Laboratory during the one year study period. Many parasitological techniques were applied in the laboratory involving Direct Fresh Fecal Smear, Floatation, Sedimentation McMaster Chamber Parasitic Egg Counting and Baerman apparatus methods for the detection and identification of parasitic eggs and larval stages. The overall prevalence rate of gastrointestinal parasites in Bahrain horses was found to be 42.7% (159 out of 372 horses shown having different species of gastrointestinal parasites most frequently Strongyle infections either as single or mixed infections). The Strongyle prevalence rate was the highest showing 29% where 108 from the 372 horses were infected with Strongyle either as single infection (13%) or mixed with other parasites (16%). Oxyuris equi was 4.1%, Parascaris equorum was 3.6%, Dicyocaulus arnifieldi larva was detected in 12 horses (3.4%), Trichostrongylus axei was 1.8% and Eimeria leukarti was 0.8%. The highest parasitic egg count per gram (epg) of feces was detected in a 7 months age foal where it was estimated at 4300 epg of mixed Strongyle and Parascaris eggs. About 45% of the farms were known applying systematic deworming program at least twice per year. Regular deworming, good housing and feeding management was affected positively on the reduction of parasitic prevalence rates among the examined farms. There was also significance shown among the ages of animals where young ages were mostly affected with Parascaris, Eimeria and Dictyocaulus but the aged animals mostly were infected with Strongyle and Oxyuris species. There was no definitive significance shown among the breeds or sexes. As a conclusion of this study it is highly recommended that further carpological survey in necessary for the determination of an accurate end-parasitic fauna in horses in Bahrain and the real situation for the expected anthelmintic resistance due to the excessive uncontrolled application of anthelmintic drugs in large scale of equine raring sectors allover Bahrain.