Summary

In this research we propose to continue our collection of sera, adult worms, larvae and faeces from horses in the Wagga area. The elements of this collection are: build our set from 40 to over 60; match worm counts, serum and faecal samples; sample a full season to cover multiple cyathostomin species; source horses with a range of infection intensities; collect from horses with other parasite infections; restrict collection to the Wagga region to avoid the complexity of geographic differences. We have shown that infection patterns in Wagga are similar to those reported in historic studies from WA, Queensland, and Victoria and expect our data will be representative of the country . We will identify worm proteins suitable for use in test development using two approaches.

Program

Thoroughbred Horses

Research Organisation

Charles Sturt University

Objective Summary

Build a collection of samples of faeces and serum from infected and uninfected horses for future diagnostic test development.
Identify up to 5 proteins specific for adult cyathostomin infection and 5 for larval infection.
Evaluate the potential of these proteins to diagnose adult and larval infection, respectively.
Evaluate the potential of diagnostic agents developed by the Moredun Research Institute in a serum-based test for larval cyathostominosis.