A study by Pfizer Animal Health shows that tapeworm exposure in horses is rising on the West Coast. The study is a follow-up to a similar equine parasitology study conducted in 2003 by Craig Reinemeyer, DVM, Ph.D., of East Tennessee Clinical Research. His study uncovered the high prevalence of equine tapeworms throughout the U.S. but indicated a lower risk of exposure on the Pacific coast compared to other areas. The new study used more than 300 farms and 600 samples from across three Western states. Data showed tapeworm prevalence on West Coast farms as 17.3 percent in California, 36.5 percent in Oregon and 25.3 percent in Washington. The original study showed tapeworm prevalence in the three combined states as 12.7 percent. The new figures confirm that tapeworm poses a medical threat to horses all over the U.S., not just in the Eastern and Midwestern regions, according to Pfizer Animal Health. Tapeworm prevalence in regions other than the West Coast ranged from 19.1 percent to 95.8 percent, according to original data. Pfizer Animal Health of New York recommends that all horse owners be proactive in protecting their horses from tapeworms. <HOME>
