A new study has found that horses in some parts of Mexico have significant exposure to the two protozoa that cause equine piroplasmosis: Babesia caballi and Theileria equi.
Equine piroplasmosis is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease is spread by ticks and can affect horses, donkeys, and mules.
Diagnosis can be difficult as the clinical signs are often not definitive, and may include fever, lack of appetite, labored breathing, weight loss, anemia, or exercise intolerance. Mortality rates of infected horses can reach up to 50 percent.
Dr. Elizabeth Salinas-Estrella and a research team created a study using 269 horses from 24 tropical and subtropical locations in Mexico. The scientists took serum and whole blood samples from each horse and tested them serologically using the ELISA and molecularly by using the nPCR and duplex qPCR tests.
The serological tests showed that 184 horses (68.4 percent) had antibodies against T. equi and 150 (55.7 percent) showed antibodies against B. caballi. In total, the tests showed that 46.8 percent of study horses were exposed to both pathogens.
The nPCR test showed that 212 horses (78.8 percent) were positive for T. equi and 21 horses (7.8 percent) were positive for B. caballi; 5.9 percent of study horses were co-infected.
The scientists concluded that the environment in Mexico is well suited to both pathogens, and that horses living in the study areas have high levels of exposure. They also noted that learning more about how the disease is transmitted is imperative as piroplasmosis positive horses can become symptom-free carriers.
The creation of preventive and control measures is important; as the prevalence of horses traveling between countries for sport or breeding opportunities increases, so does the potential to spread disease.
Read the full study here.
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