Anoplocephala perfoliata infestation and colics in horses.

Intestinal distress represents one of the major cause of morbidity and mortality in horses and is consequently, one of the most significant factors of economic loss for breeders. Since the 1980’s several clinical reports have supplied a circumstantial evidence of a strong association between the presence of a large number of Anoplocephala perfoliata specimens and both specific surgical colics involving the ileo-caeco-colic tract and spasmodic colics, leading to an increase in attention the veterinary practitioners on the dangerousness of this tapeworm (Barclay et al. 1982; Beroza et al. 1983; Biglietti and Garbagnati 2002). The effective role of A. perfoliata as primary pathogen of colic episodes requires further investigation; however retrospective studies on this tapeworm infestation assessed its predisposing role for intestinal ailments including ileo-caecal, caeco-caecal, caeco-colic intussusceptions, ileal impactions and spasmodic colics (Beroza et al. 1986; Proudman and Trees 1999). On the basis of the results of our previous investigation both on tapeworm prevalence in the equine population reared in Central Italy, showing a rate of 25.6 % (Veronesi et al. 2004) and on several colic events associated with A. perfoliata referred by veterinary practitioners, the aim of the present work was to assess the relationship between such helminthiasis and equine intestinal colic episodes. The present survey was performed through the evaluation of the association between different intestinal ailments and results of copromicroscopical and immunological examinations on horses recovered at the Didactic Veterinary Hospital (OVUD) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Perugia.