Gastrointestinal Parasitism in Przewalski Horses (Equus ferus przewalskii)

Purpose Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) is a subspecies of Equus ferus classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), whose gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism has been studied in different populations, in situ and ex situ, during the last decades. We aimed to summarize the information available on the subject. Methods In this review, we collected information from distinct published literature, interpreted it, compared it and related the Przewalski's horse biology and ecology with different findings. Results Many similarities can be found between the Przewalski's horse populations and the domestic horses regarding their gastrointestinal parasite community. However, not all the GI parasites described in the domestic horse have been reported in Przewalski's horse's surveys. The most prevalent parasites found in Przewalski's horses belong to the Strongylidae family, namely the Cyathostominae. Conclusions More continuous monitoring studies should be carried on in different in situ and ex situ locations to consistently support the one-off surveys. It might be necessary to better correlate the parasitological findings of this subspecies with other animals that share the same habitat and ecosystem, for instance, intermediate and reservoir hosts, from different animal taxonomic groups.

Automated summary

The study found many similarities in gastrointestinal parasite communities between Przewalski's horses and domestic horses, but not all parasites found in domestic horses have been reported in surveys of Przewalski's horses. Continuous monitoring studies in different environments are necessary to support one-off surveys.