SPECIAL WORKSHOP PRESENTATION - SMALL STRONGYLES - AN EMERGING PARASITE PROBLEM FOR HORSES

The need for this workshop became apparent as equine clinicians and pa rasitologists struggle to establish a means of diagnosis and a therape utic plan to deal with infections of small strongyles, or Cyathostomes , in horses. The most dramatic signs of small strongyle induced diseas e are sudden onset diarrhea and a protein-losing enteropathy. This set of signs is given the term ''larval cyathostomosis'' and usually affe cts horses between one and three years of age. This disease entity has been suggested to be more common in the United Kingdom than in the Un ited States,(1) but has been described recently in Kentucky.(2) The co ndition is difficult to diagnose because there is usually only a mild fever in the early stages, and affected horses do not demonstrate seve re clinical signs until the late stages of the disease. Colic has also been associated with infections, usually with mild signs of discomfor t commonly called spasmodic colic. Weight loss may occur without other clinical signs, and if the condition is treated with anthelmintics, t hey may exacerbate the condition. Which species of Cyathostomes are th e most important? What causes them to become pathogenic? What are the pathophysiological mechanisms that these larvae use to cause disease? Is there a true difference between the incidence of disease from Europ e and North America? How can we control these parasites in th face of increasing resistance to many chemotherapeutic agents that are availab le? These are the type of questions posed in this workshop which broug ht parasitologists from around the world to express their thoughts. Th e following article was generated at the time of the discussion and de tails the transcript of the information as completely as possible.