The role of tapeworms in equine colic

There is an increasing amount of evidence to incriminate the equine tapewor m Anoplocephala perfoliata in a variety of intestinal obstructions involvin g the ileum and caecum. Pathological studies have shown that when large num bers of tapeworms cluster together they cause considerable inflammatory cha nges to the intestinal wall. Until recently the lack of a reliable method o f diagnosing tapeworm infections has hampered epidemiological studies but t he development of an ELISA serological test which shows a close correlation between optical densities and infection intensity has enabled case control studies to be carried out which show that tapeworms are one of several pot ential risk factors for colic. Although total elimination of tapeworms is n either realistic nor necessary, identification and treatment of horses with large numbers of tapeworms should reduce the incidence of ileocaecal colic .