THE PREVALENCE OF ANOPLOCEPHALA-PERFOLIAT A IN HORSES IN BELGIUM, ANDEVALUATION OF THE DIAGNOSTIC SEDIMENTATION FLOTATION TECHNIQUE/

In an examination at a Belgian abattoir, the distal ileum, caecum and proximal colon of 266 horses of Belgian origin were examined fdr the p resence of Anoplocephala perfoliata. Tapeworms were detected in 77 (28 .9 %) of the horses examined. The mean number of tapeworms in infected horses was 13 (1-370). Most tapeworms were attached nearby the ileo-c aecal valve. No associations were found between prevalence and intensi ty of infection, nor the age or sex of the horses and the period of th e year. Twenty-four per cent of the examined horses were infected with both A. perfoliata and strongylids. Coprological examination by means of sedimentation/flotation of 66 A. perfoliata infected horses reveal ed cestode eggs in only 13 (20 %) cases. These results clearly demonst rate that classical sedimentation/flotation is an insensitive techniqu e for diagnosing A. perfoliata infections. The McMaster method used fo r the detection and quantification of strongylide eggs in faeces is co mpletely unreliable for the diagnosis of cestode infections.