Protozoa are single-celled eukaryotic organisms that can interact with horses in various ways, including as parasites. In equine health, protozoal infections can lead to significant diseases, such as equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), which is caused by the protozoan Sarcocystis neurona. These organisms can affect the central nervous system and other bodily systems, leading to a range of clinical symptoms in horses. Understanding the life cycle, transmission, and impact of protozoa is important for managing and preventing infections. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the biology, pathogenesis, and diagnostic approaches related to protozoal interactions in horses.
Ramírez-Hernández A, Polo G, Robayo-Sánchez LN, Cruz-Maldonado OA, Imbacuán-Pantoja WO, Cortés-Vecino JA.Working equids are used in different countries for numerous purposes and regularly are crucial for multiple communities' income and profit. Historically, in Bogotá D.C. they were used as animal-powered vehicles but in 2013 it was initiated a substitution and adoption program as a result of society pressure and lawful processes. Infectious diseases and mainly parasitic diseases, poses a threat in the health and productivity of these animals. Our aim was to identify, by coproparasitological methods, the gastrointestinal and pulmonary parasite species infecting working horses submitted to the me...
Cedrola F, Bordim S, D'Agosto M, Dias RJP.The aims of this study were to identify and quantify the gastrointestinal ciliates from Brazilian domestic horses, to compare the data obtained with previous studies and to review data on ciliate communities associated with horses around the world. We used eight domestic horses, kept under extensive management. Fecal samples were obtained immediately after defecation of animals and fixed in 18.5% formaldehyde. We identify 24 species of endosymbiotic ciliates, distributed in two subclasses, two orders, five families and 13 genera. The ciliate composition was similar among the animals analyzed. ...
Ren WX, Zhang XX, Long CY, Zhao Q, Cheng T, Ma JG, Xu P, Hou G, Ni HB.Horse meat and milk are an important source of nutrition for many Chinese. Previous studies have shown a fairly high prevalence of infection in horses. However, there is no data concerning the molecular characterization of in horses in China. The present study tested 231 cervical lymph node samples of horses from northern China (97 from Jilin, 54 from Liaoning, and 80 from Xinjiang) for the presence of the B1 gene by seminested PCR. The B1-positive samples were genotyped at nine nuclear loci, that is, SAG1, alternative SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, c22-8, GRA6, c29-2, PK1, and an apicoplast locus, usin...
Mungun-Ochir B, Horiuchi N, Altanchimeg A, Koyama K, Suganuma K, Nyamdolgor U, Watanabe KI, Baatarjargal P, Mizushima D, Battur B, Yokoyama N....Dourine is an equine protozoan disease caused by Trypanosoma equiperdum. Dourine-afflicted animals die after developing neurological clinical signs, such as unilateral paresis. The disease has been a problem for many years; however, the pathogenesis regarding the neurological clinical signs of dourine has been unclear. In the present study, we conducted a histopathological examination in order to investigate the mechanisms by which dourine-afflicted horses develop the accompanying neurological clinical signs. Four dourine-afflicted horses in Mongolia were evaluated. An apparently healthy horse...
Cruz I, Vinhas AR, Dubey JP, Cardoso L, Cotovio M, Lopes AP.Neospora spp. are intracellular protozoa with worldwide distribution and closely related to Toxoplasma gondii, which can infect a variety of mammals including horses. From September 2013 to June 2014, 185 horses from northern, central and southern parts of mainland Portugal were randomly sampled and tested for detection of immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to Neospora spp. using an indirect multi-species enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) commercial test (ID Screen® Neospora caninum Indirect Multi-species; ID.vet Innovative Diagnostics, Grabels, France). Two horses (1.1%; CI: 0.1-3.8%),...
Among the protozoa of the genus Sarcocystis (Apicomplexa; Sarcocystidae), Sarcocystis bertrami (syn. Sarcocystis fayeri) is an obligate intracellular parasite of donkeys and horses with worldwide distribution. Here, we report the detection of S. bertrami in naturally infected donkeys from southern Italy and describe their structure by light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Protozoal cysts were detected both morphologically and molecularly in skeletal muscles of 28.57% (40/140) donkeys. Mature cysts of S. bertrami were found in skeletal muscle measuring 31-102 μm l...
Vitari GLV, Costa RL, Abreu APM, Peckle M, Silva CB, Paulino PG, Pires MS, Massard CL, Santos HA.Equine piroplasmosis stands out among the diseases that affect Equidae in Brazil and the world. It is caused by the protozoa Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. The objective of the present study was to carry out the molecular characterization of T. equi using equine blood samples collected in the 5 geographic regions of Brazil. Samples from all over the country were tested for the presence of T. equi by real-time PCR. The 18S rRNA sequences (∼1,600 bp) obtained from 23 samples taken from naturally infected horses were characterized by sequencing and analyzed to identify the genotypes and th...
Costa SCL, Freitas JS, Silva AND, Lacerda LC, Cruz RDS, Carvalho FS, Pereira MJS, Munhoz AD.The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated to Babesia caballi, Theileria equi and Trypanosoma evansi in naturally infected equids from the northeast Brazil. Blood samples from 569 equids (528 horses, 8 mules, and 33 donkeys) were collected and tested for the presence of DNA of each of these protozoan parasites by PCR. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate risk factors associated with the infection. The frequency of T. equi infection was 83.5% (475/569) - 84.3% in horses, and 73.2% in donkeys and mules. The results of the final model indicated that age...
Slivinska K, Karbowiak G, Gawor J, Wróblewski Z, Jaworski Z, Jastrzębska E, Demeshkant V.The influence of internal and external parasites on the health of Polish konik horses housed in different types of management strategies in Poland is discussed. This study includes consolidated data of different authors from the past 50 years, supplemented by results of more recent research. A total of 38 species of helminths (i.e., 37 Nematoda and one Cestoda) and five Diptera species were recorded from the horses. Protozoan parasites, Cryptosporidium spp. and Theileria equi, and the Rickettsiales, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, were observed for the first time in Poland.
Kumar R, Sarkhel SP, Kumar S, Batra K, Sethi K, Jain S, Kumar S, Tripathi BN.Six Trypanosoma evansi isolates were collected from ponies (PH1 and PK6), camel (CB2), donkeys (DJ3 and DH4) and cattle (CK5) from different States of Northern India (Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat) for molecular characterization based on 18S rRNA gene. The 18S rRNA gene (2251 bp) of different isolates was amplified, cloned and custom sequenced separately. Based on sequence and phylogenetic analysis of all six isolates, collected from different hosts as well as geographical areas, were having high identity among Indian T. evansi strains (99.7%) and with other strains of T. eva...
Françoso R, Riccio AV, Fernandes CB, Alonso MA, Belli CB.Equine piroplasmosis, disease globally responsible for significant economic losses, is caused by the transmission of the hemoprotozoa Theileria equi and Babesia caballi by ticks. Transplacental transmission has been reported previously in horses, which is not the case for mules´ foals. The present study investigated, by Real Time-PCR (RT-PCR), the presence of both Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in newborn mules before the ingestion of colostrum. Blood samples of 18 mares and their respective mules´ foals were collected and analyzed by RT-PCR. Only one mare was positive for B. caballi. In...
Elghandour MMMY, Adegbeye MJ, Barbabosa-Pilego A, Perez NR, Hernández SR, Zaragoza-Bastida A, Salem AZM.Greenhouses gas emission mitigation is a very important aspect of earth sustainability with greenhouse gasses reduction, a focus of agricultural and petrochemical industries. Methane is produced in nonruminant herbivores such as horses because they undergo hindgut fermentation. Although equine produce less methane than ruminant, increasing population of horses might increase their contribution to the present 1.2 to 1.7 Tg, estimate. Diet, feeding frequency, season, genome, and protozoa population influence methane production equine. In population, Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales, Methan...
Baker RE, Schlipf JW, Brady JV, Gorman ME.A 6-year-old Cheval Canadien mare was presented for clinical signs related to acute kidney injury after receiving a course of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy. Cytologic examination of concentrated urine revealed small protozoal organisms that were later identified as Klossiella equi. Both sporocysts and free-floating sporozoites were identified in the urine, which has not been previously documented. The mare responded well to intravenous fluid therapy, and as she regained tubular function, the presence of the protozoa in the urine also abated. The mare was discharged from the hospital a...
Moreira CJC, De Cicco NNT, Galdino TS, Feder D, Gonzalez MS, Miguel RB, Coura JR, Castro HC, Azambuja P, Atella GC, Ratcliffe NA, Mello CB.Chagas disease, infecting ca. 8 million people in Central and South America, is mediated by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. The parasite is transmitted by the bite of blood sucking triatomine insects, such as Rhodnius prolixus, that had previously fed on parasite-infected vertebrate blood and voided their contaminated feces and urine into the wound. The stages of the parasite life cycle in both the insect vector and human host are well-known, but determinants of infection in the insect gut are complex and enigmatic. This paper examines the possible role of the R. prolixus gut agglut...
Ozubek S, Aktas M.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a protozoon disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi transmitted by ticks from the Ixodidae family. This study investigated the genetic heterogeneity and diversity of piroplasm genotypes using the Reverse Line Blotting (RLB) technique for piroplasm species in equids in Turkey. A total of 233 blood samples from 142 horses and 91 donkeys were collected in Şanlıurfa, Tunceli, and Iğdır. The RLB assay was performed for simultaneous detection of piroplasm species. The prevalence of piroplasm infection was 33.5% (95% CI; 27.4-39.9). T. equi was the most c...
Zhang XX, Ren WX, Hou G, Liu Q, Yu TQ, Zhao Q, Ni HB.Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoon Toxoplasma gondii that can infect almost all warm-blooded hosts including horses and humans. Horse meat is one of the most important meat products for human consumption. However, data on seroprevalence of T. gondii in horses intended for human consumption in Northern China is scarce. Thus, a total of 614 serum samples were collected from Jilin Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) between 2015 and 2017, and were detected the seroprevalence for T. gondii by indirect hemagglutination assay test. In the prevalence study, the overall seroprev...
Liénard E, Nabuco A, Vandenabeele S, Losson B, Tosi I, Bouhsira É, Prévot F, Sharif S, Franc M, Vanvinckenroye C, Caron Y.Besnoitiosis is caused by different species of intracellular protozoan parasites belonging to the family Sarcocystidae and affecting multiple host species worldwide. Including B. besnoiti, ten species are described infecting animals. Among ungulates, Besnoitia bennetti infects horses, donkeys and zebras and was described in Africa and in the USA where donkey besnoitiosis is considered as an emerging disease. Methods: A two-year-old male donkey was purchased in May 2016 in poor body condition (cachexia, alopetic areas and pruritus mainly on neck and head) by the present owner in Le Roeulx (Belg...
Dybicz M, Perkowski K, Baltaza W, Padzik M, Sędzikowska A, Chomicz L.The protozoan is considered to be a human specific flagellate of the oral cavity, found in humans with poor oral hygiene and advanced periodontal disease. Morphological variability and great similarity between species occurring in humans and animals, complicate the specific identification of trichomonads, using microscopic examination and other standard parasitological techniques. Objective: The aim of the study was to search for and identify in domesticated animals using molecular methods. The obtained data were assessed in terms of potential effects of a spread of the species deriving from...
Sengupta PP, Rudramurthy GR, Ligi M, Jacob SS, Rahman H, Roy P.Trypanosoma evansi, a haemoflagellated protozoan parasite, is responsible for chronic as well as the acute debilitating disease called surra in a wide range of herbivores and carnivores including domestic and wild animals. Since the parasite is having wide host range, there is a need for diagnostic test which can detect the T. evansi specific antibody in different species of animals for generating sero-surveillance data. In the present study we developed and evaluated competitive enzyme immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against recombinant variable surface glycoprotein (rVS...
Villa L, Gazzonis AL, Álvarez-García G, Diezma-Díaz C, Zanzani SA, Manfredi MT.Among Apicomplexa protozoa infecting equids, Besnoitia spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. represent important issues from a sanitary and zootechnical viewpoint. However, only scarce epidemiological data are available on the spread of the infections in horses and donkeys in Europe. Therefore, a serosurvey was planned to estimate the prevalence of these Sarcocystidae species in Italian equids. Serum samples from 268 horses and 18 donkeys raised in Italy were collected and serologically analyzed to detect anti-Besnoitia spp., anti-T. gondii and anti-Neospora spp. antibodies: an approach ba...
Dubey JP, Bauer C.There is considerable confusion concerning validity of Eimeria species in equids, and endogenous developmental stages and pathogenicity of equid Eimeria. This paper summarizes worldwide information on history, structure, life cycle, pathogenicity, prevalence, epidemiology, and diagnosis of Eimeria infections in equids. The following conclusions were drawn. Although three species of Eimeria; E. solipedum, E. uninugulata, and E. leuckarti were named from horses, only E. leuckarti is a valid species infecting equids, including horses, donkeys and zebra. We consider E. solipedum, E. uninugulata an...
Ybañez AP, Ybañez RHD, Talle MG, Arreglo RMT, Geens MJC, Villas JGI, Villar SR, Laruga CL, Cao S, Moumouni FPA, Liu M, Igarashi I, Xuan X.Theileria equi and Babesia caballi are tick-borne protozoan parasites that can cause anemia in horses. In the Philippines, serological detection of these parasites has only been reported in the Northern area (Luzon). In this study, 105 horses from Cebu and Bohol, Philippines were tested using peripheral blood smear examination (PBSE), immunochromatographic test (ICT) strips, and PCR. Clinical history, presenting clinical signs and complete blood count were obtained. Results revealed that although all horses were negative using PBSE, 23 (21.9%) were positive (12 for T. equi, and 11 for B. cabal...
Schale S, Howe D, Yeargan M, Morrow JK, Graves A, Johnson AL.Infection by 2 or more protozoa is linked with increased severity of disease in marine mammals with protozoan encephalitis. Objective: To assess whether horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Sarcocystis neurona also have evidence of infection with Neospora hughesi or Toxoplasma gondii. We hypothesized that horses with EPM would be more likely than horses with cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM) to be positive for antibodies to multiple protozoan parasites. Methods: One hundred one horses with neurologic disease: 49 with EPM and 52 with CVSM. Methods: Case rev...
Clark A, Sallé G, Ballan V, Reigner F, Meynadier A, Cortet J, Koch C, Riou M, Blanchard A, Mach N.Gastrointestinal strongyles are a major threat to horses' health and welfare. Given that strongyles inhabit the same niche as the gut microbiota, they may interact with each other. These beneficial or detrimental interactions are unknown in horses and could partly explain contrasted susceptibility to infection between individuals. To address these questions, an experimental pasture trial with 20 worm-free female Welsh ponies (10 susceptible (S) and 10 resistant (R) to parasite infection) was implemented for 5 months. Fecal egg counts (FEC), hematological and biochemical data, body weight and g...
Howe DK, Yeargan M, Simpson L, Dangoudoubiyam S.Sarcocystis neurona is a member of the important phylum Apicomplexa and the primary cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Moreover, S. neurona is the best-studied species in the genus Sarcocystis, one of the most successful parasite taxa, as virtually all vertebrate animals may be infected by at least one species. Consequently, scientific investigation of S. neurona will aid in the control of EPM and neurologic disease in sea mammals, while also improving our understanding of a prominent branch on the apicomplexan phylogenetic tree. These protocols describe methods that expand the...
Vieira MIB, Costa MM, de Oliveira MT, Gonçalves LR, André MR, Machado RZ.Equine piroplasmosis is a disease caused by the hemoparasites Babesia caballi and Theileria equi and is considered to be the most important parasitic infection affecting Equidae. The objective of the present study was to carry out an epidemiological molecular and serological survey for the presence of these two protozoal organisms in equids from the northwestern region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), south Brazil. For this purpose, blood samples were collected from 90 equids in the city of Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil. Those were animals used for sport activities, outdoor recreational ridin...
Deng L, Li W, Zhong Z, Liu X, Chai Y, Luo X, Song Y, Wang W, Gong C, Huang X, Hu Y, Fu H, He M, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Wu K, Cao S, Peng G.Giardia intestinalis, a cosmopolitan zoonotic parasite, is one of the most common causes of protozoal diarrhea in both humans and animals worldwide. Although G. intestinalis has been detected in many animals, information regarding its prevalence and genotype in Chinese racehorses is scarce. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of G. intestinalis in racehorses and performed molecular characterization of the pathogen to assess its zoonotic potential. Two hundred and sixty-four racehorse fecal samples from six equestrian clubs located in different regions of the Sichuan province o...
Sabir N, Chaudhry ZI, Aslam A, Muhammad K, Shahid M, Hussain A, Khan SA, Ahmad I.Trypanosomiasis is an important protozoal disease with a diverse range of susceptible host including human. In the current study, molecular characterization of prevalent species was done through a pan-trypanosome polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). A total of three hundred (n = 300) equines including horses, donkeys and mules (100 each) were randomly selected and the equine blood samples were subjected to screening for trypanosomes through microhaematocrit centrifuge technique (MHCT), conventional PCR, semi-nested PCR and RFLP. Overall...
Braga MDSCO, Costa FN, Gomes DRM, Xavier DR, André MR, Gonçalves LR, Freschi CR, Machado RZ.Equine piroplasmosisis, a tick-borne disease caused by the intra-erythrocytic protozoans Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, has economic importance due to the international trade and the increased movement of horses all over the world. The goal of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of phylogenetic diversity of T. equi and B. caballi genotypes among infected equids from São Luís Island, state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. Between December of 2011 and June of 2012, EDTA-blood and serum samples were collected from 139 equids (90 donkeys, 39 horses and 10 mules). From 139 serum samp...
Stock ML, Elazab ST, Hsu WH.Triazines are relatively new antiprotozoal drugs that have successfully controlled coccidiosis and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. These drugs have favorably treated other protozoal diseases such as neosporosis and toxoplasmosis. In this article, we discuss the pharmacological characteristics of five triazines, toltrazuril, ponazuril, clazuril, diclazuril, and nitromezuril which are used in veterinary medicine to control protozoal diseases which include coccidiosis, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, neosporosis, and toxoplasmosis.
Antonello AM, Pivoto FL, Camillo G, Braunig P, Sangioni LA, Pompermayer E, Vogel FS.Neospora spp. is a intracellular protozoan phylogenetically closely related to Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona, and it can infect horses leading to the development of reproductive or neurological diseases. We determined the presence of antibodies to Neospora sp. in mares at their parturition time and determine the frequency of vertical transmission in healthy foals to verify the importance of transplacental transmission. The samples were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test, showing that seroprevalence in mares is higher than in foals and seropositive mares are likel...
Boy MG, Galligan DT, Divers TJ.Medical records of 82 horses with clinical signs of neurologic disease and histologic lesions suggestive of protozoal encephalomyelitis were reviewed. The presence of a protozoan parasite in the CNS was not influenced by prior treatment of the horse with corticosteroids. Prior treatment of horses with trimethoprim-sulfonamide alone or in combination with pyrimethamine resulted in a decreased number of horses in which a protozoan parasite was detected in the CNS at necropsy. The mean age of affected horses was 3.62 +/- 2.78 years, with male and Standardbred horses being overrepresented, compare...
Guo PF, Chen TT, Tsaihong JC, Ho GD, Cheng PC, Tseng YC, Peng SY.Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium. A total of 436 horse fecal samples were collected from 19 farms, and acid-fast staining method was used for primary screening. Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 161 samples, among which 33 positive sample were selected for nested PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing of 18 S rDNA, showing 31 samples to be bovine C. parvum and 2 C. felis. The methods employed in this study should be useful as tools to identify cryptosporidiosis genotypes and species of livestock.
Gomes FA, Jansen AM, Machado RZ, Jesus Pena HF, Fumagalli MJ, Silva A, Alves BF, Roque ALR, Moraes Figueiredo LT.Arboviruses and protozoans can cause neurologic disorders in horses. In Brazilian Amazon, several horses presenting signs compatible with disorders caused by these infectious agents have been observed. To contribute to the knowledge of this epidemiological picture, we sought to construct a serological diagnostic panel for neurotrophic infectious agents in local horses. A total of 213 blood samples from horses were collected from 29 farms in three municipalities. Samples were evaluated and considered positive when they met the following criteria: titers ≥ 1:80 with the indirect fluorescent an...
Gennari SM, Pena HF, Lindsay DS, Lopes MG, Soares HS, Cabral AD, Vitaliano SN, Amaku M.Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi are coccidian protozoa that can cause neurological illness in horses in America. In this study we report seroprevalence of Neospora spp. andS. neurona in sera of 333 donkeys from the northeastern region of Brazil. Antibodies to Neospora spp. were detected in 2% (7 donkeys) of 333 sera tested by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) with a cut-off dilution of 1:40. Antibodies to S. neurona were found in 3% (10 donkeys) of the samples tested by IFAT (cut-off ≥50) and 21% (69 donkeys) by the direct agglutination test (SAT ≥50). The SAT and IFAT...
Seo MG, Yun SH, Choi SK, Cho GJ, Park YS, Kwon OD, Cho KH, Kim TH, Jeong KS, Park SJ, Kwon YS, Kwak D.Equine piroplasms include two tick-borne protozoan parasites, Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. Although no clinical equine piroplasmosis has been reported in the Republic of Korea, the possible existence of the disease has been proposed due to a nationwide distribution of the vector ticks. To determine if the antibodies against B. caballi and T. equi were present, 184 sera of horses (Equus caballus) raised in the Republic of Korea from 2007 to 2010 were assessed using cELISA kits. Two (1.1%) out of 184 sera were positive for T. equi, but none were seropositive for B. caballi. Both samples t...
The Journal of parasitologyJanuary 23, 2003
Volume 88, Issue 6 1239-1246 doi: 10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[1239:QEOSTF]2.0.CO;2
Packham AE, Conrad PA, Wilson WD, Jeanes LV, Sverlow KW, Gardner IA, Daft BM, Marsh AE, Blagburn BL, Ferraro GL, Barr BC.Neospora hughesi is a newly recognized protozoan pathogen in horses that causes a myeloencephalitis similar to Sarcocystis neurona. There are no validated serologic tests using the gold standard sera that are currently available to detect specific N. hughesi antibodies and, thus, no tests available to detect antemortem exposure or estimate seroprevalence in the horse. The objectives of the present study were to establish a bank of gold standard equine sera through experimental infections with N. hughesi and to assess several serologic tests for the detection of related protozoan antibodies. Se...
Metcalf ES.Despite the numerous benefits of having the capability to transport semen internationally, there are serious potential ramifications if that semen is contaminated with a communicable disease. Bacteria: Many commensal bacteria colonize the exterior of the stallion penis and are not regarded as pathogenic. They may be cultured from an ejaculate. Alterations of the normal bacterial flora on the exterior genitalia may cause the growth of opportunistic bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, which, if inseminated, may cause infertility in suscepti...
Atwill ER, McDougald NK, Perea L.Faecal specimens from 305 horses and mules used as packstock at one of 17 commercial or governmental (National Park Service, US Forest Service) operations were examined for Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium parvum using immunofluorescent microscopy. Fourteen packstock (4.6%) were shedding G. duodenalis cysts, with herd-level prevalences ranging 0-22%. Number of packstock in the corral, size of corral and density of packstock in the corral were associated with the odds of shedding G. duodenalis cysts. None of the horses had detectable C. parvum oocysts. Assuming a sensitivity of at least 4...
Bryan LK, Hamer SA, Shaw S, Curtis-Robles R, Auckland LD, Hodo CL, Chaffin K, Rech RR.A 10-year-old Quarter Horse gelding presented to the Texas A&M University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a six month-history of ataxia and lameness in the hind limbs. The horse was treated presumptively for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) based on clinical signs but was ultimately euthanized after its condition worsened. Gross lesions were limited to a small area of reddening in the gray matter of the thoracic spinal cord. Histologically, trypanosome amastigotes morphologically similar to Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease in humans and dogs, were sporadically detec...
Wise LN, Ueti MW, Kappmeyer LS, Hines MT, White SN, Davis W, Knowles DP.The equid hemoprotozoan parasite Theileria equi is endemic in most regions worldwide. Infection of horses is a cause of significant economic loss due to costs associated with disease and restriction of trade with non-endemic nations. The ability of certain drugs such as imidocarb dipropionate to eliminate persistent T. equi infection and transmission risk is controversial. The anti-protozoal agent ponazuril has been used successfully to treat equine Sarcosystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii. The hypothesis that ponazuril inhibits replication of T. equi in vitro was tested. T. equi infected equ...
Menezes RC, Campos MP, Popielarczyk M, Kiupel M.We report a new case of cutaneous leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis in a horse in Florida, USA. A 10-year-old neutered male Quarter horse was presented with multifocal to coalescing, raised, ulcerated and oozing, non-healing wounds on both pinnae of several weeks' duration. After a few months, the lesions regressed spontaneously. Biopsies of the lesions were performed with microscopical findings of epidermal hyperplasia with multifocal ulceration and focally extensive, dermal pyogranulomatous inflammation with numerous intact and degenerate neutrophils being surround...
Bełżecki G, Miltko R, Michałowski T, McEwan NR.This paper describes cultivation methods for ciliates from the digestive tract of horses. Members of three different genera were successfully grown in vitro for short periods of time. However, only cells belonging to the genus Blepharocorys, which resides in the horse's large intestine, were maintained for longer periods. This Blepharocorys culture was successfully grown in vitro after inoculation of freshly excreted horse faeces in culture medium containing a population of bacteria. The ciliates survived for over six months, and the density of their population varied between 1.7 × 10(3) and ...
Marsh AE, Barr BC, Madigan J, Lakritz J, Conrad PA.To identify Sarcocystis neurona-specific DNA sequences in the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA (nss-rRNA) gene that could be used to distinguish S neurona from other closely related protozoal parasites, and to evaluate a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, using broad based primers and a unique species-specific probe on CSF for detection of S neurona in equids. Methods: Sequencing of the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene from a new S neurona isolate (UCD 1) was performed. The sequence was compared with that of other closely related Sarcocystidae parasites. From this sequence, conse...
Mansfield LS, Schott HC, Murphy AJ, Rossano MG, Tanhauser SM, Patterson JS, Nelson K, Ewart SL, Marteniuk JV, Bowman DD, Kaneene JB.Sarcocystis neurona is a protozoan parasite that can cause neurological deficits in infected horses. The route of transmission is by fecal-oral transfer of sporocysts from opossums. However, the species identity and the lifecycle are not completely known. In this study, Sarcocystis merozoites from eight isolates obtained from Michigan horses were compared to S. neurona from a California horse (UCD1), Sarcocystis from a grackle (Cornell), and five Sarcocystis isolates from feral opossums from Michigan. Comparisons were made using several techniques. SDS-PAGE analysis with silver staining showed...
Gargala G, Le Goff L, Ballet JJ, Favennec L, Stachulski AV, Rossignol JF.Sarcocystis neurona is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). The aim of this work was to document inhibitory activities of nitazoxanide (NTZ, [2-acetolyloxy-N-(5-nitro 2-thiazolyl) benzamide]) and new thiazolides/thiadiazolides on S. neurona in vitro development, and investigate their structure-activity relationships. S. neurona was grown in bovine turbinate cell cultures. At concentrations varying from 1.0 to 5.0mg/L, nitazoxanide and 21 of 32 second generation thiazolide/thiadiazolide agents exerted a > or =95% maximum inhibition on S. neuro...
Biral NV, Azevedo Santos H, Senne NA, Paulino PG, Camilo TA, Tassinari WS, Silva VL, Santos FN, Angelo IDC.Equine leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan of the Leishmania genus, and it has been reported in several countries around the world, especially Brazil. Therefore, the present investigation aims to conduct a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence, spatial distribution, and associated factors with seropositivity for Leishmania spp. in draft horses from the Distrito Federal, Brazil. The serological survey was conducted on 411 animals, employing the Indirect Immunofluorescence Test (IFA) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The Kappa (κ) and g...
Bentz BG, Granstrom DE, Stamper S.To determine seroprevalence of Sarcocystis neurona-specific antibodies in a population of horses residing in Chester County, Pa. Methods: Prevalence survey. Methods: 117 serum samples from selected members of a population of 580 Thoroughbred horses. Methods: Serum was analyzed for antibodies to Sarcocystic neurona, using a western blot. Information regarding age, sex, and housing of horse was obtained by questionnaire. Data were analyzed, using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Seroprevalence was 45.3% (95% CI, 36.3 to 54.3%). A relationship was not found between seroprevalence and s...
Liénard E, Nabuco A, Vandenabeele S, Losson B, Tosi I, Bouhsira É, Prévot F, Sharif S, Franc M, Vanvinckenroye C, Caron Y.Besnoitiosis is caused by different species of intracellular protozoan parasites belonging to the family Sarcocystidae and affecting multiple host species worldwide. Including B. besnoiti, ten species are described infecting animals. Among ungulates, Besnoitia bennetti infects horses, donkeys and zebras and was described in Africa and in the USA where donkey besnoitiosis is considered as an emerging disease. Methods: A two-year-old male donkey was purchased in May 2016 in poor body condition (cachexia, alopetic areas and pruritus mainly on neck and head) by the present owner in Le Roeulx (Belg...
Yao C.The kinetoplastid protozoan Leishmania spp. cause leishmaniasis, which clinically exhibit mainly as a cutaneous, mucocutanous or visceral form depending upon the parasite species in humans. The disease is widespread geographically, leading to 20 000 annual deaths. Here, leishmaniases in both humans and animals, reservoirs and sand fly vectors on the Caribbean islands are reviewed. Autochthonous human infections by Leishmania spp. were found in the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe and Martinique as well as Trinidad and Tobago; canine infections were found in St. Kitts and Grenada; and equine infe...
Villalobos EM, Ueno TE, de Souza SL, Cunha EM, do Carmo Custódio de Souza Hunold Lara M, Gennari SM, Soares RM.A study of the association between the presence of serum antibodies against Neospora spp. and fetal loss was performed using serum samples of horses submitted to the laboratory for the detection of antibodies to Equine Herpesvirus-1 and Equine Infectious Anemia Virus. The sera submitted for equine infectious anemia testing were from horses declared healthy and those submitted for the detection of antibodies to Equine Herpesvirus-1 were from mares with late clinical signs of reproductive disorders or males living in close contact with diseased mares. For the detection of Neospora spp. infection...
Zhou B, Yang G, Hu Z, Chen K, Guo W, Wang X, Du C.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a parasitic disease caused by (), () and (). This disease is considered to be reportable by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is regarded as a straightforward, rapid and sensitive diagnostic method to detect pathogens. However, qPCR has not been employed in the various epidemiological investigations of . In this study, we developed a new qPCR method to detect based on the chr1sco (chromosome 1 single-copy open reading frame (ORF)) gene, which has no detectable orthologs in or A TaqMan MGB probe was used in the ...
Ata EB, Abdel-Aziz TH, Abdel-Ghany HSM, Elsawy BSM, Abdullah HHAM, Abouelsoued D, Ashry HM, Hassan MR, Shapaan RM, Nasr SM, Mahmoud MS....This study aimed to characterize and determine the prevalence and the associated risk factors of trypanosomiasis in different Egyptian livestock from various governorates using molecular and serological techniques, adding to an assessment of some biochemical alterations in serum samples. A total 1019 blood samples were collected from nine governorates in the period from January 2020 to September 2021 from cattle (n = 752), buffaloes (n = 42), sheep (n = 65), goats (n = 60), donkeys (n = 54), and horses (n = 46). Molecular investigation followed by sequencing confirmed the presence ...
Sumbria D, Singla LD, Kumar S, Sharma A, Dahiya RK, Setia R.Equine piroplasmosis is a febrile, tick-borne disease of equids predominately caused by obligatory intra-erythrocytic protozoa Theileria equi in the Indian sub-continent. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 464 equids (426 horses and 38 donkeys/mules) in Punjab, India to assess the level of exposure to equine piroplasmosis by 18S rRNA gene nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) and equine merozoite antigen-2 (EMA2) indirect-ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), to investigate risk factors and haemato-biochemical alterations associated with the infection. The endemicity of the dise...
Couso-Pérez S, de Limia FB, Ares-Mazás E, Gómez-Couso H.Studies on the prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. affecting feral horses are scarce. The highland areas of the northern Iberian Peninsula are home to a large population of wild ponies which generally roam free in the ancient natural range and are subjected to a traditional exploitation regime. In the present study, a total of 79 non-diarrhoeal faecal samples from the wild ponies were collected from the ground immediately after defecation. Cryptosporidium was detected in 10 of the samples (12.6%) by a direct immunofluorescence antibody test and DNA amplification a...
Villalobos EM, Furman KE, Lara Mdo C, Cunha EM, Finger MA, Busch AP, de Barros Filho IR, Deconto I, Dornbusch PT, Biondo AW.Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite which affects dogs as definitive hosts and several mammalian species as intermediate hosts mainly causing abortions and central nervous system disorders. The reemerging population of cart horses for carrying recycling material in urban areas of major cities in Brazil may have an impact on disease spreading, and these animals may be used as sentinels for environmental surveillance. Thus, the present study investigated the frequency of Neospora sp. antibodies in cart horses from Curitiba and surrounding areas, Paraná State, Southern Brazil. IgG antibodie...
Adamska M, Skotarczak B.The aim of the present study was to detect Toxoplasma gondii in ticks collected from ponies and field vegetation and to determine the role of Shetland ponies as a potential reservoir host for T. gondii. A total of 1737 feeding Ixodes ricinus collected from 49 horses and 371 questing ticks were tested by PCR and sequencing for the presence and genotyping of T. gondii. All ticks were examined in a previous study to detect and identify pathogenic bacterial species. The aim of this study was also to detect co-infection of ticks with these bacteria and T. gondii. Genotyping of the sequenced B1 gene...
Wobeser BK, Godson DL, Rejmanek D, Dowling P.A protozoal parasite identified as Neospora hughesi was found in inflammatory lesions in the central nervous system of a Canadian-born adult horse presented with neurological signs. This is believed to be the first case of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Neospora hughesi in a horse outside of the United States. Un parasite protozoaire identifié comme a été trouvé dans les lésions inflammatoires du système nerveux central d’un cheval adulte né au Canada présentant des signes neurologiques. On croit qu’il s’agit du premier cas d’encéphalomyélite protozoai...
Pusterla N, Tamez-Trevino E, White A, Vangeem J, Packham A, Conrad PA, Kass P.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is a commonly diagnosed neurological disease of horses in North America and is caused by infection with Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi. The aim of this study was to compare prevalence factors among horses seropositive or seronegative to N. hughesi and/or S. neurona. A total of 3123 submissions were included in the study, with horses originating from 49 States. Thirty-eight animals from 21 States tested seropositive for N. hughesi only, 840 horses from 40 States were seropositive for S. neurona only, 25 horses from 14 States were seropositive for both...
