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. 2024 Feb 24;20(1):70.
doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-03934-y.

Metabarcoding study to reveal the structural community of strongylid nematodes in domesticated horses in Thailand

Mohamed H Hamad  1   2   3 , Sk Injamamul Islam  1   3 , Wanarit Jitsamai  4 , Teerapol Chinkangsadarn  5 , Darm Naraporn  6 , Suraseha Ouisuwan  6 , Piyanan Taweethavonsawat  7   8
Affiliations

Metabarcoding study to reveal the structural community of strongylid nematodes in domesticated horses in Thailand

Mohamed H Hamad et al. BMC Vet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Mixed strongylid infections significantly impact equine health and performance. Traditional microscopy-based methods exhibit limitations in accurately identifying strongylid species. Nemabiome deep amplicon sequencing approach previously succeeded in describing the strongylid communities in livestock including equids. However, there are no available studies that describe the structural communities of strongylid parasites in horses in Thailand. Therefore, this study was undertaken encompassing the ITS-2 rDNA metabarcoding assay to characterize strongylid species within horse fecal samples collected from a cohort of yearlings at the largest domesticated stud farm in Thailand. In addition, to investigate the capability of ITS-2 rDNA in assessing the phylogenetic relationships among the identified strongylid species.

Results: The study identified 14 strongylid species in the examined equine populations, each with varying prevalence. Notably, Cylicocyclus nassatus and Cylicostephanus longibursatus were identified as the predominant species, with Strongylus spp. conspicuously absent. The phylogenetic analysis of 207 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) displayed a complex relationship among the investigated cyathostomin species, with some species are positioned across multiple clades, demonstrating close associations with various species and genera.

Conclusion: The ITS-2 nemabiome sequencing technique provided a detailed picture of horse strongylid parasite species in the studied population. This establishes a foundation for future investigations into the resistance status of these parasites and enables efforts to mitigate their impact.

Keywords: Deep amplicon sequencing; Horses; Nemabiome; Strongylid parasites.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Species proportion (%) of strongylid nematodes based on amplicon sequence variants at taxa level from two separate pooled horse samples. Each taxon is represented by a distinct color
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Maximum likelihood phylogenetic diversity of 207 sequences of strongylid nematodes in the equine population of Thailand, as elucidated through nemabiome metabarcoding analysis. The sequences are distinguished by color, representing their respective species. The numerical annotations at the branch origins denote bootstrap values, while those near the branch endpoints indicate branch lengths
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