The association between Anoplocephala perfoliata and colic in Swedish horses--a case control study

A case-control study was performed to investigate the association between colic of all types in Swedish horses and infection with the equine tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata. Colic cases were defined by clinical signs consistent with the presence of abdominal pain, and the control horses had no signs of colic within the last year but attended a clinic for other reasons. Blood and fecal samples were collected by veterinarian from 67 horses with signs of colic and 67 control horses. The sera were analyzed using serodiagnostic assay anti-12/13 kDa IgG(T) ELISA. The fecal samples, 30 g from each horse, were analyzed with a modified sugar salt flotation method with a density of 1.280. A significant association was found between the presence of A. perfoliata eggs in feces and colic with a 16 times higher risk of colic if eggs had been observed in fecal samples. However, there was no significant association between colic and the median OD-values in the serological diagnosis, nor when recommended cut-offs were used. The study concludes that A. perfoliata is a risk factor for colic in Swedish horses and it suggests that the modified flotation method can be used as a diagnostic tool for identifying horses at risk.