Epidemiological study of gastrointestinal parasitism in horses from Mehedinti County

Abstract

The presence of digestive parasites can alter behaviour, fertility, body condition, juvenile development, decreased resistance to other pathogens, or the performance for which animals are bred. The aim of this study was to monitor gastrointestinal parasite infestation in equines in Mehedinți County. The horses, sport and working, various breeds and half-breeds, came from different localities from Mehedinți County. Samples were collected in plastic bags and examined by flotation, sedimentation, and Baermann methods. Horses were divided into several categories: sex, age, breed, and service. Strongylidae and Parascaris spp. represented parasitism in recreational and working horses studied in Mehedinți county, no other parasitic elements were identified. The overall prevalence was 43.5% for Strongylidae and 21.17% for Parascaris spp. The simultaneous presence of at least two parasite species was observed in 17.64% of the horses examined.