Summer Sores Secondary to a Hoof Crack in an Andalusian Stallion

Cutaneous habronemosis in horses is caused by larvae of the spirurid nematodes Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae. These lesions, also known as “summer sores’’, are often severe and disfiguring. Although Habronema-caused lesions at the coronary grooves have been described, cases of hoof cracks with secondary summer sores have never been reported. The present case describes clinic-pathological and surgical features of a quarter crack case complicated by cutaneous habronemosis at the dermal layers. A 15-year-old, Andalusian stallion was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Teramo because of a mass of the hoof and a severe lameness. The clinical examination revealed an exuberant granulation tissue protruding from a full thickness vertical quarter crack. The mass was surgically removed, and subjected to histopathological, microbiological, and parasitological analyses. A copromicroscopic examination was also performed. The feces scored PCR positive for H. muscae, while the skin for both H. microstoma and H. muscae, thus confirming the primary role of Habronema in causing the hoof mass. This is the first description of a hoof wall crack complicated by summer sores, with simultaneous gastric habronemosis. This case confirms that a prompt diagnosis during fly activity is imperative for an efficacious treatment and a timely prevention of disfiguring summer sores.

CARCINOMA EPIDERMOIDE ASOCIADO A LA INFESTACIÓN CRÓNICA POR HABRONEMA MUSCAE EN UN CABALLO DE RAZA PINTO: REGISTRO DE UN CASO EN VENEZUELA

Se remite un caballo (Equus caballus), sexo macho, de raza Pinto y 8 años de edad. Con historia de balanopostitis nodular exudativa crónica complicada con infección bacteriana secundaria data de 4 años. Emaciación crónica severa. Oliguria, estranguria y polidipsia. Linfadenomegalia de nódulos linfáticos inguinales y femurales preescapulares. Se le practicó eutanasia. Posteriormente se le prácticó necropsia por las técnicas sistemáticas descritas para equinos. Se tomaron secciones de tejido para estudio histopatológico y fueron procesadas por los métodos convencionales de procesamiento histológico. Fueron tomadas muestras de heces para estudios parasitológicos. El examen macroscópico reveló emaciación crónica severa. Balanopostitis exudativa crónica severa con infección bacteriana secundaria. Se evidencio hidroperitoneo marcado. Linfadenomegalia de nódulos mesentéricos. Los cortes histológicos evidenciaron: Balanopostitis crónica severa, con focos de proliferación de células escamosas espinocelulares con abundante acantosis, pleomorfismo, hipercromasia nuclear, anaplasia, figuras mitóticas típicas y atípicas constantes, presencia de perlas corneas abundantes. En algunas zonas se observaron granulomas con formas parasitarias tipo Habronema. Los resultados del estudio coprológico fueron consistentes con huevos de Habronema muscae. En conclusión: la historia clínica, los hallazgos macroscópicos e histológicos evidencian un síndrome de balanopostitis crónica y carcinoma epidermoide metastásico.

ПОПУЛЯЦІЯ КОНЯ ПРЖЕВАЛЬСЬКОГО В ЧОРНОБИЛЬСЬКІЙ ЗОНІ ВІДЧУ-ЖЕННЯ: МОНІТОРИНГ ЧИСЕЛЬНОСТІ ТВАРИН ТА РІВНЯ ЗАРАЖЕНОСТІ КИ-ШКОВИМИ ПАРАЗИТАМИ У 2015–2018 РР.

Представлено результати спостережень за чисельністю вільної популяції коня Пржевальсь-кого та рівнем зараженості тварин основними кишковими паразитами на території Зони Чо-рнобильської АЕС впродовж 2015–2018 рр. Всього було зареєстровано 187 особин. Впродовж періоду дослідження щороку відмічалось від трьох до десяти репродуктивних груп чисельні-стю 3–14 особин в кожній, одна–три холостяцькі групи жеребців (2–7 особин), а також оди-ничні самці. Досліджені групи коней мають чітку приуроченість до місця мешкання. Зареєс-тровано для Strongylidae найвищий рівень зараженості (100%; 888,9±565,7 яєць в 1 г фекалій); для Parascaris equorum – середній рівень зараженості (33,3–100%; 25–200): для Anoplocephalidae – низький рівень зараженості (9,09–66,7%; 25). У одного жеребця зафіксо-вано Habronema muscae (ЕІ=16,7%; середній EPG=25).

Preimaginal mortality of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) due to Habronema muscae (Nematoda: Habronematidae)

SummaryIn order to study the damage of Habronema muscae (Carter, 1861) on its intermediate host, Musca domestica Linnaeus, 1758, fly larval feeding experiments were carried out. For this, a defined number of praeimaginal stages of M. domestica was transferred in daily intervals (from day 0 to day 10) on faecal samples of a naturally infected horse harboring 269 adult H. muscae in its stomach. The development of M. domestica was monitored until imagines appeared. Harvested pupae were measured and weighted and the success of infection was studied by counting 3rd stage nematode larvae in freshly hatched flies. In addition, time of pupation and duration of the whole development of the flies was noticed. Pupation, hatching and preimaginal mortality rates were calculated and the number of nematode larvae in freshly hatched flies was counted. Adult flies harboured up to 60 Habronema larvae. Lower pupal volumes and weights, lower pupation rates and higher preimaginal mortality rates were found in experimental groups with long exposure to parasite eggs compared to experimental groups with short exposure or to the uninfected control groups. Maggots of the former groups pupated earlier and fly imagines occurred earlier. These findings clearly showed a negative impact of H. muscae on the development of M. domestica. The results are discussed in connection with the destruction of adipose cells in the maggots by developing nematode larvae.

Gastrointestinal Parasite Community in a New Population of the Przewalski’s Horse (Equus Ferus Przewalskii) in the Orenburg State Reserve, Russia

The Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii, Poljakov, 1881) is an endangered subspecies of wild horses (Equus ferus) native to steppes of Central Asia. In 2015, the Program of Establishing of a Semi-Free Population of the Przewalski’s Horse in the Orenburg Reserve was launched by FGFI “Orenburg Reserves”. The first group of 6 Przewalski’s horses (2 males and 4 females) born in the semi-reserve Le Villaret, France, was transported to the Orenburg Reserve. Th e aim of this work was to investigate the species composition of the intestinal parasite community and to monitor the dynamics of the parasite infection of the newly established Przewalski’s horse population. The level of infection by gastrointestinal parasites within the horses was examined by the McMaster method. Gastrointestinal parasites were collected in vivo after deworming of the horses with macrocyclic lactone drug “Univerm” (0.2 % aversectin C, PharmBioMed, Russia). Totally, 20 species of parasites were found: 19 species of nematodes (species of the family Strongylidae and Habronema muscae) and one species of botflies from the genus Gasterophilus. Th e widest species diversity (18 species from 8 genera) was observed in strongylids: 2 species from the subfamily Strongylinae and 16 species from Cyathostominae. Distribution of strongylid species between ten prevalence classes revealed a bimodal structure (“core-satellite” mode) of the strongylid community. Th e results obtained in this study are to be considered as the initial data for the further parasitological monitoring of Przewalski’s horses at the Orenburg State Reserve.

Gastrointestinal parasites of the Polish primitive horses from the Biebrza National Park

Summary Thirty-one Polish primitive horses (Equus caballus) from three herds (two from the reserve and onefrom the stable) were dewormed with ivermectin+praziquantel and examined for the gastrointestinalparasite fauna. A total of 21.231 parasites were collected from the faeces at 24, 36 and 48 hoursposttreatment. There were 35 nematode species, one cestode and one botfl y larva. Strongyloideswesteri infection was confirmed pretreatment by faecal sample examination and no threadwormspecimens were found after deworming. Large and small strongyle prevalence was 90 % – 100 % and represented by 31 species. Among a total of 25 cyathostome species recovered (from 19 to 24in each group), five species (C. catinatum, C. minutus, C. longibursatus, C. nassatus and C. ashworthi)had a prevalence of 100 % in three groups of horses. Meanwhile 14 species were 100 % prevalent in one herd. A total of six large strongyle species were found in adult horses. Oxyuris equiwas recorded in 60 – 100 % of the horses while Parascaris equorum was detected in 100 % of foalsand 16.7 % – 30 % of adult mares. Habronema muscae was found in 30 % of the horses from onefree-ranging herd. Tapeworms (Anoplocephala perfoliata) were found in 90 % of the horses from onefree-ranging group, whereas botfl y larvae (Gasterophilus intestinalis) were found in 50 – 80 % of allsurveyed horses. The present results are compared with earlier studies of Polish primitive wild horsesfrom similar reserves in Poland. A total of 36 gastrointestinal parasite species were recorded fromwild and stabled horses from the Biebrza National Park. This is in comparison with 35 such speciesin free-ranging and stabled horses from the Roztocze National Park and with 28 such species offree-ranginghorses from the Popielno forest reserve. Among parasites recovered, the highly prevalent S. vulgaris, tapeworms and botfl y larvae pose aserious risk of serious abdominal disorders in horses.