A Horse in Canada Has a Rare Parasite

Horses around the world can be infected by many types of parasites. One of these parasites is a type of worm called a strongyle. There are 64 different types of these worms that can infect horses. These worms live in the horse's gut and can cause problems. Some of these worms are very common, but others are rare and not well understood. One of these rare worms is called Hsiungia pekingensis. It was first found in a donkey in China in 1964. Since then, it has only been seen in a few places, like Kazakhstan. Scientists did not know much about where this worm lives or how it is related to other worms. Recently, scientists found Hsiungia pekingensis in a horse in Alberta, Canada. This is the first time this worm has been seen in North America. The scientists found the worm by looking at the horse's poop after it was treated with a medicine called ivermectin. They also used special tests to look at the worm's DNA. The scientists found that this worm is closely related to two other types of worms, Poteriostomum and Parapoteriostomum. They also looked at other samples from horses in Alberta and found that some wild horses also had this worm. But they did not find it in other places. This discovery is important because it shows that this rare worm is living in a new place. It also shows that looking at DNA can help scientists learn more about where parasites live and how they are related to each other. This can help us understand and control these parasites better.