Research finds new approach could improve efficacy and cost effectiveness

New research published in the Veterinary Record this week suggests that by targeting worming treatments in horses - treating only those with a high worm egg count in their faeces, rather than the traditional approach of regularly treating all horses - the cost effectiveness and efficiency of the drugs could be improved.

Scientists at the Moredun Institute, who collaborated with Bristol, Liverpool and Edinburgh vet schools, say targeted approaches could cut costs by as much as £300 annually per yard.

Targeted approaches incur diagnostic costs, specifically the faecal egg counts (FEC) which must be conducted to determine which horses have a higher worm egg count in their faeces.

Researchers say that prior to this study, however, there has been a lack of published research on the financial implications of using a targeted approach, rather than treating all horses four times per year.

Additionally, authors of the report say that the frequent use of anthelmintics in horses has contributed to widespread resistance in cyathostomins, a group of parasitic nematodes.

With no new drugs likely to be licensed for use in horses in the short or medium term, researchers from the institute stress the importance of maintaining the efficiency of current treatments for as long as possible.

The research team carried out a study to compare the cost of traditional and targeted approaches. In total, 368 horses were screened in 2012 and those with a FEC of 200 EPG or more were treated.

Costs were then compared with those revealed in a previous questionnaire comprising of 193 respondents. It was found that on average, each yard made an annual saving of £294.44 by implementing the targeted approach, compared to those using traditional methods.

Furthermore, on average, only 18 per cent of horses on a yard had an FEC of 200 EPG or more and were therefore given treatment.

Lead researcher Hannah Lester commented: "The frequent use of anthelmintics in horses has contributed to the development and spread of drug resistance in equine worm populations, which has lead to problems with the efficacy of treatments.

"This study has shown that if we target the treatment to the horses that actually need it we will help to reduce the development of drug resistant parasite populations and save money too."