Contact
Peter Halvarsson
Researcher at the Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health; Parasitology Unit
Telephone: +4618672398
E-mail: peter.halvarsson@slu.se
Similarities and differences between the parasite fauna of wild and domestic horses (3 projects)
Last changed: 12 December 2022
Horses can be infected by about 50 species of large and small bloodworms, but usually a single individual is infected by a handful of species. The different species are more or less pathogenic because they are found in different sections of the intestine and burrow to different depths in the mucosa. Today, anthelmintics are used to treat horses that show high levels of parasites. The long-term use has led to certain species developing resistance to the deworming agents and potentially a shift in parasite frequencies.
Project 1: What intestinal parasites are there in wild horses? Does the parasite fauna differ between domestic and wild horses?
Project 2: Is there a difference in the prevalence of Strongylus vulgaris between domestic and wild horses?
Project 3: Which sampling method is best to identify individual horses from feces?
Aims
To investigate whether the parasite fauna differs between wild and domestic horses and whether it is possible to see a difference in the presence of Strongylus vulgaris.
Method
Fieldwork to collect feces from horses and a questionnaire for horse owners. The lab work consists of doing McMaster egg counts, larval cultures, extracting DNA, PCR, and determining from which individual the feces comes from. If time is available: sequence larval cultures and bioinformatics. Statistical analyses.
Implementation
Fieldwork and sample preparation (approx. 2 weeks in Spain) and laboratory work (approx. 2 weeks at SLU, Uppsala) in May-June. Summer break. Other laboratory work, analysis and writing during autumn semester 2023. Suitable for 30 or 45 ECTS projects.
Contact information
Application for scholarship travel grant is needed for the trip to Spain. Please contact me early if interested.
Links
The project takes place in collaboration with Professor Carles Vilà at the Doñana research station, CSIC, Seville, Spain.