Anthelmintic Efficacy of Strongyle Nematodes to Ivermectin and Fenbendazole on Working Donkeys (Equus asinus) in and around Hosaena Town, Southern Ethiopia

Common clinical findings identified in working equids in low- and middle-income countries from 2005 to 2021

Despite several millions of working equids worldwide, there are few published studies regarding the epidemiology of their health and welfare. Data collected by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the working equid sphere therefore have important epidemiological value and could be used towards animal health surveillance. The aim of this study was to identify common clinical findings and mortality patterns of working equids in low- and middle-income countries and investigate their epidemiology using data collected from an international NGO. A retrospective analysis was conducted to determine the proportion of clinical findings and mortality risk by equid species, year and region. Negative binomial regression models were generated to investigate differences in mortality risk and proportion of key clinical findings between equid species, hemispheres and calendar month. A total of 4,313,606 presentations were reported from 14 countries between January 2005 and March 2021 (mean 22,121; SD ± 7,858 per month). Wounds and abscesses were the most reported clinical finding for all equid species (mean proportion 35%; SD ±0.19 of all findings). A higher proportion of wounds (mean proportion 41.7%; SD±0.2) was recorded in donkeys than mules or horses (P<0.001). Mules had higher reported mortality risk (1.2%; 95% CI 0.94-1.46%) than horses (0.4%; 95% CI 0.36-0.55%; p<0.001) or donkeys (0.2%; 95% CI 0.14-0.22%). Work-related wounds were the predominant finding in working equids, particularly so in donkeys. Prevention strategies should focus on improvements to work equipment and practices for all equids. Future investigations required include refinement of diagnostic approaches for donkeys and investigation of risk factors to understand the higher mortality in mules. Routine monitoring of clinical findings reported by national or international NGOs could be included in animal health surveillance strategies, although standardisation of data for this purpose is needed so that changes in prevalence following implementation of prevention strategies can be monitored.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with donkey gastrointestinal parasites in Shashemane and Suburbs, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Background

Gastrointestinal parasites are the cause of morbidity and mortality in working donkeys and reduce their working performance.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to July 2021 to assess gastrointestinal parasite infection in working donkeys in Shashemane and the surrounding district. A total of 395 donkeys were randomly sampled for the study, and an examination was conducted using faecal egg count and the Baermann technique.

Results

Out of the 395 sampled donkeys, different types of gastrointestinal parasites were identified. The parasites identified during the study were Strongyle spp. (100%), Oxyuris equi (10.1%), Parascaris equorum (23.8%), Fasciola spp. (0.3%), Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus (4.6%), Strongyloides westeri (47.8%) and Anoplocephala perfoliata (0.5%). Identification of L₃ larvae of GI parasites revealed that Cyathostomes spp. (96.2%), Strongylus vulgaris (92.9%), Trichostrongylus axei (90.4%), Strongylus edentatus (89.4%), and Dictyocaulus arnifieldi (49.6%) were the most prevalent. Infection with one species of helminth was more common (60.8%).

Conclusions

Thus, working donkeys in the present study area were infected with Strongyle spp. (100%), Strongyloides westeri (47.8%), Parascaris equorum (23.8%), Oxyuris equi (10.1%), Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus (4.6%), Anoplocephala perfoliata (0.5%) and Fasciola spp. (0.3%) parasites. Hence, comprehensive donkey health, management, and implementation of appropriate parasite control strategies should be implemented to alleviate these problems.

Study on Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Equines in and around Bekoji, South Eastern Ethiopia

Parasitic infections can cause a variety of respiratory, intestinal, and other problems in horses, as well as contribute to some performance issues. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in and around Bekoji, South Eastern Ethiopia, from November 2020 to June 2021 to identify species and evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in donkeys and horses, using direct fecal smear, floatation methods, and larval cultures. In this study, the overall prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode parasites was 94.5% (363 out of 384), with donkeys accounting for 95.8% and horses accounting for 90.5%. The coprological study indicated that an overall prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode parasites was 87%, 8.3%, 2.5%, 1.4%, and 0.8% for mixed parasite infection, nonmigratory strongylids, migratory strongylids, Parascaris equorum, and Oxyuris equi, respectively. Among mixed infections, nonmigratory strongylids+migratory strongylids (51.5%) occurred most frequently. The odds of male horses being infected by GIT nematodes were 1.59 times higher than male donkeys. Horses which have poor body condition were 2.94 times more infected than donkeys. The odds of old-aged donkeys were 3.11 times more infected than horses. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes with species and body conditions of the animals. However, no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was seen in the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode parasites between the sex and age of the Equidae. The mean fecal egg count of nematodes revealed that horses (1364.4 ± 483.5) had a more severe infection than donkeys with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). The current study determined there was a high prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode parasites in Equidae. Regular deworming, improved housing and nutrition management systems, increased animal owner awareness, and prevention techniques should all be undertaken to minimize the disease's economic burden in the area.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Bovine and Ovine Lungworm Infection at Durame District, Southern Ethiopia

Background

Lungworms are parasitic nematodes of the order Strongylidae that infect the lungs of cattle and sheep and cause bronchitis or pneumonia.

Methods

An abattoir-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to April 2019 to determine the comparative prevalence and the possible risk factors of lungworm infection in sheep and cattle of Durame district of Kembata Tembaro zone. For this purpose, a total of 410 animals (209 sheep and 201 cattle) were randomly selected and examined for the presence of different lungworm species using the modified Baermann technique and postmortem examination. The sensitivity and specificity of fecal sample test considering necropsy as reference/gold standard was conducted.

Results

Accordingly, the overall prevalence of lungworm infection in sheep and cattle was 24.39%. Dictyocaulus filaria and D. viviparous were the only species of lungworm identified in sheep and cattle with a respective prevalence of 44.02% and 3.98%. Putative risk factors such as species and poor body condition have a significant association (p < 0.05) with the occurrence of lungworms in sheep and cattle. The lungworm infection was higher in the young age group (25.30%) and poor body conditioned (32.14%) animals. Season-wise prevalence revealed that a higher lungworm infection was recorded during autumn (32.14%) as compared to winter (22.81%) and spring (16.2%). Most of the sheep and cattle in the current study were heavily (45.0%) and moderately (39.0%) infected with lungworms whereas the rest 16.0% were infected with a low degree of lungworm infection. The specificity, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV of the modified Baermann technique against the gold standard test were 89.4%, 42%, 56.0%, and 82.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

The study revealed that lungworm infection is prevalent in sheep and cattle of the study area and that was commonly occurs during autumn and affects poorly conditioned sheep and cattle. Thus, routine and strategic deworming for the control and prevention of lungworms in domestic animals should be recommended to overwhelm the prevalence of lungworm infection.

Monoclonal Antibodies for Protozoan Infections: A Future Reality or a Utopic Idea?

Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several clinical trials have been approved for the investigation of the possible use of mAbs, supporting the potential of this technology as a therapeutic approach for infectious diseases. The first monoclonal antibody (mAb), Muromonab CD3, was introduced for the prevention of kidney transplant rejection more than 30 years ago; since then more than 100 mAbs have been approved for therapeutic purposes. Nonetheless, only four mAbs are currently employed for infectious diseases: Palivizumab, for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, Raxibacumab and Obiltoxaximab, for the prophylaxis and treatment against anthrax toxin and Bezlotoxumab, for the prevention of Clostridium difficile recurrence. Protozoan infections are often neglected diseases for which effective and safe chemotherapies are generally missing. In this context, drug resistance and drug toxicity are two crucial problems. The recent advances in bioinformatics, parasite genomics, and biochemistry methodologies are contributing to better understand parasite biology, which is essential to guide the development of new therapies. In this review, we present the efforts that are being made in the evaluation of mAbs for the prevention or treatment of leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, malaria, and toxoplasmosis. Particular emphasis will be placed on the potential strengths and weaknesses of biological treatments in the control of these protozoan diseases that are still affecting hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Helminthiasis in Horses and Donkeys of Hawassa District, Southern Ethiopia

Background

Gastrointestinal helminth parasite infection is a major influencing factor against the profitability of working equines all over the world.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal tract (GI) helminths and assess the associated risk factors in donkeys and horses in the Hawassa district. A total of 214 fecal samples were collected from randomly selected equines (112 donkeys and 102 horses) and examined for the presence of eggs of GI helminths using standard coprological techniques.

Results

According to the current study, the prevalence of GI helminths in equine was 78.5% (168/214) and the highest prevalence was reported in donkeys 92% (103/112) as compared to horses 63% (65/102). Out of 168 positive samples, the different species of parasites were identified, namely, Strongyle species 120 (56.1%), Strongyloides westeri 76 (35.5%), Parascaris equorum 54 (25.2%), Anoplocephala perfoliata 34 (15.8%), Oxyuris equi 20 (9.3%), Fasciola hepatica 18 (8.8%), Gastrodiscus species 12 (5.6%), and Dictyocaulus arnfieldi 4 (1.8%). There was a strong association between the prevalence of GI helminths and factors such as the species of equine, body condition scores, and feed type (p < 0.05). However, no significant association (p > 0.05) was observed between the prevalence of GI helminths and putative risk factors such as age, sex, housing, and water source. The coproculture performed on 30 pooled fecal samples revealed that Cyathostomes species, Strongylus vulgaris, and Strongylus edentatus were the major helminth parasites of donkeys and horses.

Conclusion

The frequency of gastrointestinal helminths in equine species was high, especially in donkeys. Hence, strategic deworming using broad-spectrum antihelminthic drugs and a rotational grazing program should be implemented to control and prevent the diseases.

Study on Strongyle Infection of Donkeys and Horses in Hosaena District, Southern Ethiopia

Introduction

Gastrointestinal helminth parasite infection is a major influencing factor against the profitability of working equines all over the world.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Hosaena district to investigate the prevalence and the potential risk factors of strongyle infection. To address this, 384 equines; donkeys (n = 208), and horses (n = 176) were randomly selected for the coprological examination to identify strongyle eggs using the floatation technique.

Results

The study revealed that the overall prevalence of strongyle infection in the Hosaena district was 54.2% and the respective prevalence was 59.1% and 48.2.0% in donkeys and horses, respectively. Strongyles' infection rates in equines were 56.3%, 53.2%, and 56.6% in young, adult, and old animals, respectively, while the rates were 52.8% and 57.1% in male and female animals. Equids with a good body condition were highly prone to strongyle infection than equines with poor and medium body condition, and equids used for transport and packing, cart pulling, and no purpose were highly infected than those used for packing and transport purposes. A significant variation (P< 0.05) was shown in the statistical analysis between the equines and the prevalence of strongyle infection. However, the occurrence of strongyle infection was not significantly (P>0.05) associated with age, sex, and body condition score of equines.

Conclusion

Hence, strongyles infection is widely distributed in equines in the study area. Further research, including broad sample sizes of gastrointestinal nematodes in all equines, should therefore be recommended for strategic prevention and control measures in order to understand the severity of the disease.