title: The prevalence, abundance and distribution of cyathostomins (small stongyles) in horses from Western Romania.
abstract: Forty seven working horses from Romania were post-mortem examined for small strongyles (Cyathostominae) infections. All horses were found infected. The overall cyathostomins intensity ranged from 390 to 13,010 and horses were infected by 8-24 species. The intensity was higher in ventral colon (1531) and dorsal colon (824), the lowest in the caecum (524). Twenty four species were identified. Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicocyclus insigne, and C. Nassatus had 100% of prevalence. Over 50% of horses were infected by Coronocyclus coronatus, Cylicostephanus calicatus, C. goldi, and C. longibursatus. Other prevalent species (34%-45%) were Cyathostomum tetracanthum, Cylicostephanus minutus and Gyalocephalus capitatus. Coronocyclus labiatus, Parapoteriostomum mettami, Poteriostomum imparidentatum and P. ratzii had the lowest prevalence. Most species showed high organ preference with a niche breadth value between 1 and 1.96 while only 7 species (Coronocyclus labiatus, Cyathostomum tetracanthum, C. brevicapsulatus, Cylicocyclus elongatus, C. insigne, C. leptostomum and C. radiatus) showed a more generalist selection. The niche breadth of 10 species was significantly (p<0.05) influenced by itself intensity (Coronocyclus labratus, Cyathostomum pateratum, C. tetracanthum, Cylicocyclus elongatus, C. radiatus, C. ultrajectinus, C. leptostomum, Cylicodontophorus euproctus, Poteriostomum imparidentatum, P. ratzii). The niche breadth of Cylicocyclus nassatus was positively (p<0.05) influenced by the summed intensity of the other species while that of Cylicocyclus elongatus was negatively (p<0.05) influenced by the intensity of the other species. The cluster analysis of the Cyathostominae community composition showed a major cluster composed by the three dominant species, followed by a cluster composed by Coronocyclus coronatus, while all the other species presented a tree like structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine "King Michael I of Romania" from Timişoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Sorin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morariu
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine "King Michael I of Romania" from Timişoara, Romania. Electronic address: narcisa.mederle@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Narcisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mederle
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine "King Michael I of Romania" from Timişoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Badea
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine "King Michael I of Romania" from Timişoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Gheorghe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dărăbuş
authors.affiliation: Departement of Veterinary Science and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Departement of Veterinary Science and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Genchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006736:Horses; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D013319:Strongyle Infections, Equine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D013320:Strongyloidea / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Cluster analysis; Cyathostominae; Horses; Intensity; Niche breadth; Prevalence; Romania