Practical Parasitology

Question 1

What is a parasite?

Answer 1

Organisms that live on or in other organisms (called hosts) at the expense of the host

Question 2

What are five non-chemical parasite management methods?

Answer 2

1. rotate pastures
2. cross-graze pastures with ruminants
3. remove manure frequently
4. harrow/drag pastures in hot, dry weather and keep horses out for two months
5. avoid overstocking pastures

Question 3

What are the two types of parasites?

Answer 3

Internal parasites

External parasites

Question 4

What are endoparasites?

Answer 4

Internal parasites

Question 5

What are ectoparasites?

Answer 5

External parasites

Question 6

What are some internal parasites?

Answer 6

1. Nematodes (roundworms, ascarids)
2. Strongyles
3. Cestodes (tape worms)
4. Trematodes (flukes)
5. Protozoa
6. Bots

Question 7

What are some external parasites?

Answer 7

1. Lice (sucking and biting)
2. Mites
3. Ticks
4. Flies

Question 8

What are nematodes?

Answer 8

Roundworms

Ascarids

Question 9

What are cestodes?

Answer 9

Tapeworms

Question 10

What are trematodes?

Answer 10

Flukes

Question 11

What are some common horse nematodes?

Answer 11

1. Large strongyles
2. Small strongyles
3. Large roundworms
4. Threadworms
5. Pinworms

Question 12

What color/size are adult roundworms?

Answer 12

Large and white

Question 13

Roundworms can cause horses to….

Answer 13

look unthrifty, poor hair coat, some upper respiratory symptoms

Question 14

Where do round worms live?

Answer 14

In the small intestine of young horses

Question 15

Roundworm larvae ingested by horses hatch and undergo…

Answer 15

tracheal, liver and/or lung migration

Question 16

Where do roundworms mature? How long does it take?

Answer 16

Small Intestine, 10-12 weeks

Question 17

How many eggs do adult roundworms produce per day?

Answer 17

200,000

Question 18

Where are adult roundworms passed on?

Answer 18

Manure

Question 19

Life cycle takes about ______

Answer 19

3 months

Question 20

Treatments for roundworm include ____ and _____

Answer 20

Fenbendazole

Pyrantel

Question 21

_____ are the most damaging

Answer 21

Large strongyles

Question 22

Damage from large strongyles may cause _____ - blood clot

Answer 22

an aneurysm

Question 23

Which parasite?

Larvae migrate through internal organs of the host; may live in arteries; damage may cause an aneurysm

Answer 23

Large strongyles

Question 24

____ are usually larger in number than large strongyles, can cause colic, diarrhea, rough hair coat

Answer 24

Small strongyles

Question 25

____ life cycle requires no other organism except the final host to complete its life cycle

Answer 25

Direct

Question 26

The direct life cycle includes most ____

Answer 26

equine nematodes

Question 27

____ life cycle: parasite spend part of their life in an intermediate host and then are transferred to the host

Answer 27

Indirect

Question 28

____ host such as mosquito or earthworm

Answer 28

Intermediate

Question 29

Which parasite? 1. Need an intermediate host to complete their life cycle 2. Host is a forage mite 3. Horse swallows infective mite and parasite mature in intestine in 6-10 weeks

Answer 29

Tapeworms

Question 30

Tapeworms can cause ____ and disease

Answer 30

intestinal damage

Question 31

Tapeworms firmly attach to certain areas of digestive tract, specifically ____ and ____

Answer 31

Small intestine and ileocecal junctions

Question 32

Tapeworm attachment leads to ____, ____, ____, and ____.

Answer 32

inflammation, irritation, ulceration, and impairs normal function

Question 33

Treatment for tapeworms includes ____ products - ivermectin/moxidectin - labeled for treatment not prevention - if they have a high parasite load you could cause impaction

Answer 33

Praziquantel

Question 34

Which parasite? 1. smallest of nematode parasites (4-5 mm) 2. affect stomach and small intestine, can cause bleeding in gut 3. unique because adults can live in a free-living state

Answer 34

Hairlike worms

Question 35

Why are hairlike worms unique?

Answer 35

The adults can live in a free-living state

Question 36

Which parasite? 1. Adults live in lungs - mate, eggs are coughed up and swallowed and passed with feces 2. Hard to diagnose 3. Most common in donkeys

Answer 36

Lungworms

Question 37

Which parasite is most common in donkeys?

Answer 37

Lungworms

Question 38

What are four methods of parasite control?

Answer 38

1. Clean pastures/rotate 2. Yearly fecal exams 3. Washing a mare's udder before foals nurse/regular basis 4. Deworm young horses every 2 months starting at 6-8 weeks of age until 1 year old.