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CANTER Research Priority Guidelines

These guidelines emphasise a targeted, multidisciplinary, and stakeholder-oriented approach to advancing equine parasitology research and implementing practical parasite management solutions.

A Roadmap for CANTER Research

Methodology:

Prioritise Research Areas: Gap analysis to identify high-priority areas for funding and resource allocation based on recent British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) GRADE review.

Knowledge Gap Mapping: Systematically map existing research against the BEVA GRADE review knowledge gaps.

Leverage Existing Projects: Align with ongoing initiatives (e.g., VMD- and HBLB-funded projects) to build on existing findings and avoid duplication.

Impact strategy:

Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with veterinarians, prescribers, horse owners, industry groups, and regulatory bodies to disseminate research findings and implement practices.

Awareness Campaigns: Develop targeted communication strategies to promote evidence-based practices.

Collaborative Networks: Strengthen partnerships with data sources like EIDS, IVC, and academic institutions to enhance data access and research impact.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN EQUINE PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH?

We’d like to hear from you!

Whether you’re conducting research that we can map against current research priorities, seeking collaboration, funding, or would like to input into the CANTER research subgroup, it would be great to work together to help further our objectives in this area.

Research Priorities for Equine Parasitology:

Based on knowledge gaps outlined in BEVA review and CANTER research sub-group prioritisation.

1. Behaviour and Worming Practices

  • Understanding Behavioural Drivers: Investigate motivations, influencers, and barriers affecting worming practices among horse owners, with an emphasis on leisure-oriented establishments and stud farms.
  • Focus on Education: Target relevant stakeholders as change agents to influence client practices effectively, leveraging educational initiatives.
  • Translation of guidelines: Ensure effective translation, interpretation and implementation of current guidelines by practitioners and owners
  • Regulatory Impact Analysis: Examine the implications of potential legislative changes (e.g., prescription processes) on worming practices.
  • Buying Practices: Develop strategies to address challenges in controlling the sale of parasitological products through commercial online and in-person platforms.

2. Cyathostomins Research

  • Prevalence and Clinical Data: Collect and analyse practice-level data to determine the prevalence of cyathostominosis, potentially leveraging existing databases such as Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) RedWatch.
  • Drug Resistance Monitoring: Promote surveillance to identify anthelmintic resistance trends, including the use of NemaBiome technology for identification of species specific efficacy patterns, and identify molecular markers or resistance.
  • Disease Impact Studies: Evaluate the clinical and economic impacts of cyathostomins to prioritise interventions to high-risk scenarios.
  • Fundamental Research: Perform further fundamental research to understand the biology and pathogenicity of cyathostomins at the species level.

3. Tapeworm Research

  • Epidemiology: Investigate the life-cycle, particularly the role of oribatid mites and environmental factors.
  • Yard-Specific Issues: Study cases of persistent tapeworm challenges in specific locations to identify underlying risk factors and effective management strategies.
  • Diagnostics: Optimise, and/or develop novel, evidence-based approaches to diagnostics and monitoring in high-transmission scenarios.
  • Resistance testing: Validate approach to anthelmintic resistance testing using currently available diagnostics.
  • Awareness and Messaging: Enhance awareness campaigns about the pathogenic risks of tapeworms and the importance of effective management.

4. Parascaris Research

  • Drug Resistance: Address gaps in data on resistance, particularly prevalence on stud farms and mechanisms and markers of resistance.
  • Stud Farm Management: Develop tailored parasite management strategies for studs with resistance, considering unique challenges and environments.

5. Large strongyle

  • Monitoring: Identify approaches for routine monitoring for large strongyles under regimens with reduced anthelmintic use.

6. Pasture Management

  • Efficacy of pasture management strategies: Investigate the impact of different grazing systems, pasture treatments and environmental conditions on parasite transmission across parasite species.

7. Quarantine and Movement Management

  • Horse Movements and Parasite Spread: Research the impact of horse movements on parasite epidemiology and control, especially with respect to the spread of anthelmintic resistance parasites.
  • Quarantine Guidelines: Validate practical, evidence-based quarantine protocols that do not assume universal drug efficacy.
  • Data Integration: Develop a framework for improved data collection on horse movements and biosecurity practices.

8. Environmental sustainability

  • Ecotoxicity: Establish the environmental impact of widespread anthelmintic use on equine establishments related to the ecotoxic effects of excreted anthelmintics and/or their bi-products.

9. Diagnostics

  • Accuracy: Research aimed at improving the accuracy of diagnostics to identify parasite burdens for specific parasite species

10. General

  • Surveillance: Improving national surveillance for parasitic disease (including emerging parasites) and anthelmintic resistance.
  • Clinical impacts: Demonstration of clinical impact of improving parasite control programs – bridge the gap between research and clinics, engagement of vets.
  • Herd health: Optimise population-based approaches to biosecurity and disease control including parasites in addition to a range of other equine infectious disease.
  • Nutrition and Microbiomes: identify associations between nutrition, microbiome, and immunity/resilience to parasite infection.