Equine tapeworm infections in Italy: A nationwide coprological survey

Grazing horses are exposed to various intestinal helminths, with tapeworms being of major concern due to their potential pathogenicity. Few regional data are available in Italy on tapeworm infections in horses; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Anoplocephala spp. eggs over a nine-year period (2014-2023) in 12,056 faecal samples from horses living in all 18 continental Italian regions. Coprological examinations were performed using the Proudman and Edwards (1992) method using Sheather's sugar solution as the floatation medium. An overall prevalence of 3.7 % (452 horses positive) was observed. Sex, age class, presence of pasture and living area were significantly associated with Anoplocephala spp. infection (p < 0.05). The results of this large-scale study showed a low prevalence of Anoplocephala spp. as detected by coprological analysis. However, considering that this parasite is potentially pathogenic at relatively low worm burdens, it should always be considered in helminth control programs, especially in horses with access to pasture. Moreover, considering the low sensitivity of coprological methods for detecting cestode infections, antibody-based diagnostics methods such as serum or saliva ELISA testing could provide more accurate information regarding the presence of tapeworm infections in horses.