Fasciola hepatica in UK horses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fasciola hepatica (liver fluke) affects grazing animals including horses but the extent to which it affects UK horses is unknown.

Objectives

To define how liver fluke affects the UK horse population.

Study design

Descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study.

Methods

An F. hepatica excretory-secretory antibody detection ELISA with a diagnostic sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 97% was validated and used to analyse serum samples. An abattoir study was performed to determine prevalence. A case-control study of 269 horses compared fluke exposure between horses with liver disease and controls. Data on clinical signs and blood test results were collected for sero-positive horses. Genotyping of adult fluke was used to produce a multilocus genotype

SUBMITTER: Howell AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7027485 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature