3. Parasite Diagnostics and Their Performance
3.1. Diagnosing parasitic disease Diagnosing cases of equine parasitic disease is not as straightforward as it might appear. Detecting parasite eggs in fecal samples does not indicate parasitic contribution to a clinical presentation since parasite egg shedding is a normal finding in clinically healthy animals. Instead, diagnosing parasitic disease should rely on pattern recognition among clinical findings and other test results. Below are examples of hallmark findings.
Larval cyathostominosis: Diarrhea/loose feces, hypoalbuminemia, neutrophilia, weight loss, dehydration, ventral edema, and thickened large intestinal walls on ultrasonography.
Ascarid impaction: Colic presentation in foals, weanlings, and yearlings with ultrasonographic evidence of a large ascarid burden in the small intestine.
Tapeworm-associated colic: Ileal impactions or intussusceptions may be evident upon rectal palpation or ultrasonography.
3.2. Fecal egg counts Numerous techniques exist for determining fecal egg counts (FECs) and the use of these in equine practice has recently been reviewed (Nielsen, 2022a). Some misconceptions are common regarding the interpretation of these counts, and the following should be emphasized:
• FEC magnitude does not correlate with the size of the parasite burden.
• FECs cannot be used to evaluate possible parasitic involvement in a horse displaying clinical manifestations.
• FECs do not indicate a risk of disease or possible adverse reactions to anthelmintic treatment.
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