Prevalence and Risk Factors of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses in Aljabal Alakhdar region, Libya.

• Somia A. Alsanousi

  Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya

  Author

• Ahmed Bulabiad

  Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya

  Author

• Najwa A. I. Abdulsalam

  Author

• Mohamed Bengheshir

  Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Benghazi, Libya

  Author

Libyan equines play an important role in traditional culture, and like all grazing animals, they often suffer from gastrointestinal parasite infections, especially in breeding facilities. These infections can lead to serious health problems and financial losses. In eastern Libya, data on these parasitic populations are limited due to limited research; therefore, this study aimed to identify the gastrointestinal parasite in horses in the region. Fresh faecal samples were collected from 110 horses from different areas of Aljabal Alakhdar to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors, and to identify the genera of equine gastrointestinal parasites. The flotation technique and the concentration-modified McMaster method were used to perform faecal egg count analysis (FEC) to estimate the number of faecal eggs per gram (EPG). The overall prevalence of GI parasites in horses was 59.09%, and the most dominant type was Cyathostomins species, found in 58.18% of the cases. Whereas Parascaris species was present in 3.64%, and Oxyuris equi was present in 2.73% of the infected horses. Both Eimeria species and Gasterophilus species were found in 0.91% of the examined cases, indicating they were relatively uncommon. However, no significant associations were found between regions, seasons, deworming practices, ages, and breeds of infected animals. In conclusion, gastrointestinal parasite infections present a considerable health risk to equines in the study area. Efforts should focus on improving housing conditions and the feeding system, increasing awareness of welfare, and implementing seasonal anthelminthics management.

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