Identification of third stage larvae of strongyles and molecular diagnosis of Strongylus vulgaris in the feces of Thoroughbred horses kept in training centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The aims of the present study were to identify strongyles in the feces of Thoroughbred horses based on larval morphology; to detect Strongylus vulgaris using molecular diagnosis and compare results to those of feces culture; and to determine the association between the presence of S. vulgaris with corresponding animal information (age range, gender, and anthelmintic use). Feces of horses kept in six Training Centers in Rio de Janeiro State, that showed the presence of ≥500 eggs per gram of feces (EPG) were subjected to strongyle identification. Of the 520 fecal samples collected, 35 had an EPG ≥ 500. After fecal culture for L3 larvae identification, DNA was extracted, subjected to PCR to amplify the ITS2 region DNA fragment of S. vulgaris, and sequenced. A total of 3500 larvae were analyzed. Most were classified as small strong (99.7%), with an emphasis on the type A subfamily of Cyathostominae. Forms of S. vulgaris only corresponded to 0.2%. In all, 25 samples showed amplified S. vulgaris DNA products and 11 showed nucleotide sequences with high sequence identity. Fecal culture and PCR results showed poor agreement (kappa = 0.105) for S. vulgaris diagnosis. Age, gender, anthelmintic use, and anthelmintic administration interval were not statistically significant. The present study showed the presence of S. vulgaris in the feces of horses kept in Rio de Janeiro Training Centers, mainly seen via PCR, which has emerged as the most effective tool for diagnosis. This study made it possible to identify strongyles that infect horses in the region, emphasizing upon the necessity for constant monitoring of the animals.

Keywords: Fecal culture; Molecular diagnosis; Small strongyles; Strongylus vulgaris; Thoroughbred horses.