Work

High proportion of horses in Germany positive for antibodies against Anoplocephalidae

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Tapeworms are often overlooked intestinal parasites in horses, although infections can potentially cause clinical disease. Antibody-detection-based diagnostic methods have significant advantages for estimating the proportion of horses positive for tapeworms, as some faecal routine examinations are often limited by low sensitivity. METHODS: Data were obtained in the federal states Brandenburg, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. Coproscopy was performed using the Mini-FLOTAC technique (n = 970). Antibodies against the Anoplocephala perfoliata excretory-secretory 12-13 kDa antigen complex were measured using saliva- (n = 969) and plasma- (n = 957) based ELISAs (n = 923 paired samples). These data were combined with responses to a questionnaire to assess risk factors associated with tapeworm infection. RESULTS: Tapeworm eggs were found in 0.7% (n = 7) faecal samples. Saliva-based ELISA testing identified positive tapeworm results in 20.1% of horses, with 60.4% of yards having at least one positive horse, while in the plasma-based ELISA, 11.0% of horses and 47.4% of yards were positive. Risk factor analysis using multivariable generalised estimating equations for binomial data, based on saliva ELISA results, showed that geographical origin was a significant determinant of infection risk. Horses from Brandenburg had the highest odds of testing positive (odds ratio [OR] 18.7; proportion 42.1%), while horses from Lower Saxony, Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia also showed significantly higher odds (OR 4.1-12.4; proportion 17.4-32.2%) compared with Schleswig-Holstein (4.0%). Bavaria was the only state that did not differ significantly from Schleswig-Holstein (OR 2.7; proportion 9.0%). Another important factor was age: horses under 1 year (OR 0.41) or older than 5 years (OR 0.43) had significantly lower odds (P < 0.001) compared to horses aged 1-5 years. Strongyle faecal egg counts increased the odds of individuals being Anoplocephala-positive, with odds increasing 1.07-fold with every increase in egg counts by 100 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The ELISA results show that horses in Germany are more frequently positive for Anoplocephalidae than indicated by Mini-FLOTAC. Strong regional differences in tapeworm saliva test positivity and the relatively low number of horses treated against tapeworms emphasise the importance of applying tapeworm diagnostics in control programmes.

Source: Parasites & Vectors

DOI: 10.1186/s13071-026-07731-4