title: Equine cyathostome populations: accuracy of species composition estimations.
abstract: Historically, surveys of equine parasites either are not quantitative in regard to prevalence and intensities of cyathostome species, or if quantitative, are estimates based on the identification of a very small sample of the population. Commonly 100-200 worms are identified. In the current study cyathostomes from 10 ponies were counted and identified to species in subsets of approximately 200 worms each from 5% aliquots of the large intestine contents until all worms in the aliquot were examined. A mean of 10.9+/-4.3 species were identified by examining 200 cyathostomes from each animal. This number increased to 25.2+/-2.6 species when the 5% aliquots were totally examined, indicating that prevalence rates from species with low intensities are probably much greater than previous survey data indicate. A statistical model was used to determine how many worms need to be identified to give a 95% confidence level that all species present are identified.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D006736:Horses; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013320:Strongyloidea / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*