Resumen

ALCAINO, HÉCTOR; PARRA, LEOPOLDO  y  GORMAN, TEXIA R.. THOROUGHBRED RACEHORSES FASCIOLOSIS IN RACETRACKS OF THE CENTRAL ZONE OF CHILE. Parasitol. latinoam. [online]. 2005, vol.60, n.1-2, pp. 61-64. ISSN 0717-7712.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-77122005000100010.

The purpose of this survey is to add more information about fasciolosis in thoroughbred racehorses located at the racetracks of the Metropolitan ( Hipódromo Chile de Santiago (HCH) and Club Hipico de Santiago (CHS)) and the V Region (Valparaiso Sporting Club de Viña del Mar (VSC)) of Chile and, indirectly, to evaluate how sanitary plans have been working in the recent years. Horses faecal samples were collected between september 2002 and june 2003. These samples were obtained from 666 thoroughbred racehorses; the number of samples was proportional to total population of racehorses in each racetracks during the collection period. (HCH= 236; CHS= 306 and VSC = 124 samples). A 6 % of racehorses were positive for the presence of Fasciola hepatica eggs in the faecal sedimentation test. Positive horses were only found at both Metropolitan Region· racetracks (HCH 6,8 % and CHS 8,5%). No differences were observed with regard to age and sex of the animals.(p > 0,05 ). The prevalence of infection has decreased in the last 20 years (p < 0,05)

Palabras llave : Fasciola hepatica; Fasciolosis; Horse diseases; Survey; Chile.