Serodiagnosis in horses involves the detection and measurement of antibodies or antigens in the blood to diagnose infectious diseases and monitor immune responses. This diagnostic approach is based on serological tests that identify the presence of specific immune markers, providing insight into the horse's exposure to pathogens or vaccination status. Common serological tests used in equine medicine include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), complement fixation tests, and virus neutralization tests. These tests are valuable for diagnosing conditions such as equine infectious anemia, strangles, and equine herpesvirus. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, applications, and advancements in serodiagnostic techniques for equine health assessment.
Kumar S, Kumar R, Gupta AK, Yadav SC, Goyal SK, Khurana SK, Singh RK.Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-transmitted protozoan disease caused by Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi. In the present study, we expressed a 53kDa protein from the truncated EMA-2 gene of T. equi (Indian strain) and developed EMA-2ELISA using this expressed protein. This ELISA is able to detect T. equi-specific antibodies in experimentally infected animals as early as 9 days post-infection. The assay developed was validated with the OIE recommended competitive ELISA (cELISA) on 120 serum samples and significant agreement (kappa=0.93) was observed between results of both the ELISAs which ...
Hubálek Z, Ludvíková E, Jahn P, Treml F, Rudolf I, Svobodová P, Šikutová S, Betášová L, Bíreš J, Mojžíš M, Tinák M, Boldižár M....A serological survey for West Nile virus (WNV) infection involved 395 horses from 43 administrative districts of the Czech Republic (163 animals) and 29 districts of Slovakia (232 animals), sampled between 2008 and 2011. Using a plaque-reduction neutralization microtest, antibodies to WNV were not detected in any horse from the Czech Republic, whereas 19 nonvaccinated horses from Slovakia had specific antibodies to WNV (no cross-reactions were observed with tick-borne encephalitis and Usutu flaviviruses in those animals). The seropositivity rate of nonvaccinated horses in Slovakia was 8.3% (95...
Lopes AP, Sousa S, Dubey JP, Ribeiro AJ, Silvestre R, Cotovio M, Schallig HD, Cardoso L, Cordeiro-da-Silva A.Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii are protozoa with zoonotic and economic importance. Prevalences of antibodies to these agents were assessed in 173 horses from the north of Portugal. Results: Antibodies to L. infantum were detected by the direct agglutination test (DAT); seven (4.0%) horses were seropositive with DAT titres of 200 (n = 5), 800 (n = 1) and ≥ 1600 (n = 1). Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT); 23 (13.3%) horses were seropositive with MAT titres of 20 (n = 13), 40 (n = 5), 80 (n = 3) and ≥ 160 (...
Miao Q, Wang X, She LN, Fan YT, Yuan FZ, Yang JF, Zhu XQ, Zou FC.Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans, with a worldwide distribution. There have been limited reports about the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in equids around the world and little is known about the seroprevalence of T. gondii in equids in southwestern China, in particular in Yunnan Province. The objective of the present investigation was to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in equids in this area. Methods: A total of 399 serum samples (266 from horses and 133 from donkeys) were collected...
Yan W, Saleem MH, McDonough P, McDonough SP, Divers TJ, Chang YF.Leptospira immunoglobulin (Ig)-like (Lig) proteins are a novel family of surface-associated proteins in which the N-terminal 630 amino acids are conserved. In this study, we truncated the LigA conserved region into 7 fragments comprising the 1st to 3rd (LigACon1-3), 4th to 7.5th (LigACon4-7.5), 4th (LigACon4), 4.5th to 5.5th (LigACon4.5-5.5), 5.5th to 6.5th (LigACon5.5-6.5), 4th to 5th (LigACon4-5), and 6th to 7.5th (LigACon6-7.5) repeat domains. All 7 recombinant Lig proteins were screened using a slot-shaped dot blot assay for the diagnosis of equine leptospirosis. Our results showed that Li...
Yang N, Mu MY, Yuan GM, Zhang GX, Li HK, He JB.Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic pathogen infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. The most common sources of human infection are ingestion of tissue cysts in raw or undercooked meat. However, limited information is available about T. gondii infection in horses and donkeys in China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in horses and donkeys in Liaoning province, northeastern China. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 711 and 738 slaughtered horses and donkeys, respectively, in 13 regions of Liaoning province. The modified agglu...
Wangdi C, Picard J, Tan R, Condon F, Dowling B, Gummow B.Determine leptospiral serodiversity, serodominant serovars and prevalence in the horse population of Northern Queensland (NQ), Australia, with special focus on the Atherton Tableland and Townsville-Burdekin regions. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: Serum samples from 429 horses originating from 172 horse-owning properties in NQ were collected at regional horse shows and veterinary clinics. Samples were analysed using a microscopic agglutination test. Owners were interviewed on potential risk factors associated with leptospirosis. Results: Of the 172 properties that submitted samples, ...
Kumar R, Kumar S, Khurana SK, Yadav SC.The importance of Trypanosoma evansi as the etiological agent for surra is often overlooked due to difficulty in accurate diagnosis of the disease. In the present study, an antibody-ELISA was developed using whole cell lysate antigen prepared from purified trypanosomes and used for seroprevalence study of T. evansi in equids. A total of 3695 equids were surveyed and blood samples were collected from each animal during September 2009 to August 2011. Out of these, 420 serum samples were found positive for presence of antibodies against T. evansi collected from equids of six agro-climatic zones o...
Pinna A, Martins G, Souza G, Lilenbaum W.The aim of this study was to demonstrate that seroreactivity against Leptospira is significantly associated to the reproductive efficiency of recipient mares of an embryo transfer (ET) programme. A serosurvey was conducted from August 2007 to March 2009 in five herds from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with high rates of reproductive failure, as early embryonic death (>12%), abortion (>12%) and perinatal death. Detailed information about the losses was obtained from practitioner. A total of 338 recipient mares were tested by microscopic agglutination test, and 226 (66.9%) were seroreactive, mainly ag...
Rosales R, Rangel-Rivas A, Escalona A, Jordan LS, Gonzatti MI, Aso PM, Perrone T, Silva-Iturriza A, Mijares A.The focus of this study was the detection of equine piroplasmosis in Distrito Capital, Miranda, Aragua, Guárico and Apure States from Venezuela, using two methods: Competitive-Inhibition ELISA and multiplex PCR and the analysis of the possible differences in occurrence in relation to the primary purpose of the horses, which is related to varied degrees of exposure to tick. Antibody levels to Babesia caballi and Theileria equi were assessed in 694 equine serum samples using Competitive-Inhibition ELISA, while PCR assays were performed in 136 horses, using two sets of oligonucleotides to establ...
Laus F, Veronesi F, Passamonti F, Paggi E, Cerquetella M, Hyatt D, Tesei B, Fioretti DP.In order to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne diseases, equine piroplasmosis, equine granulocytic anaplasmosis and Lyme borreliosis in Central Italy, blood samples from 300 horses were analyzed for the presence of antibodies against Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi using the IFAT. The blood samples were also subjected to PCR assays in order to detect pathogen DNA. A total of 78 (26.0%) and 123 (41.0%) horses were found to be seropositive for B. caballi and T. equi, respectively, while 41 (13. 4%) and 21 (7.0%) horses were, respectively,...
Melandri V, Guimarães AÉ, Komar N, Nogueira ML, Mondini A, Fernandez-Sesma A, Alencar J, Bosch I.In an effort to detect West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil, we sampled serum from horses and chickens from the Pantanal region of the state of Mato Grosso and tested for flavivirus-reactive antibodies by blocking ELISA. The positive samples were further confirmed for serological evidence of WNV infection in three (8%) of the 38 horses and one (3.2%) of the 31 chickens using an 80% plaque-reduction neutralisation test (PRNT80). These results provide evidence of the circulation of WNV in chickens and horses in Pantanal.
Issel CJ, Scicluna MT, Cook SJ, Cook RF, Caprioli A, Ricci I, Rosone F, Craigo JK, Montelaro RC, Autorino GL.Serological diagnosis of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) infections has depended mainly on the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGIDT). This study documents the presence of EIAV genetic sequences in a number of persistently infected horses and mules whose serums were interpreted as negative/equivocal on AGIDT, but positive on more than one ELISA test and in immunoblot tests. Strategies designed to take advantage of the combined strengths of the ELISA and AGIDT are shown effective in a national surveillance program for EIA in Italy where 17 per cent (25/149) of the equids considered to be ...
Mulatti P, Bonfanti L, Capelli G, Capello K, Lorenzetto M, Terregino C, Monaco F, Ferri G, Marangon S.Since 2008, West Nile Virus (WNV) has expanded its range in several Italian regions, and its yearly recurrence suggests the virus may have become endemic in some areas. In 2011, a new plan based also on the detection of IgM antibodies was implemented in the north-eastern Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, aiming to early detect WNV infections in areas where the virus had already circulated during the previous summers, and in adjacent zones. From July to November 2011, 1880 sera from 521 equine premises were screened by a commercial IgM capture ELISA. Mosquitoes were captured ...
Sajid M, Ahmad MU, Khan MA, Anjum MA, Mushtaq MH.The present study was an attempt to elucidate the seroprevalence of equine influenza virus (H3N8) in two geographically distinct regions of Pakistan where vaccination is not routinely practiced. Methods: A total number of 315 animals of family Equidae were included in the survey. Blood samples and nasal swabs were collected from the same animal and analyzed through ELISA and Hemagglutination Inhibition. Results: The seroprevalence for EIV was 10 and 8.39 in districts under study. Out of 29 ELISA positive sera, 7 (24.1 %) showed antibodies against H1 and 22 (75.9 %) showed against H3 of influen...
Bohórquez A, Meana A, Luzón M.The tapeworm responsible for equine colic, Anoplocephala perfoliata, is considered the most common intestinal tapeworm of horses worldwide. However, there is evidence that Anoplocephala magna has a similar prevalence in North America and Spain, and possibly in other countries, highlighting the need for diagnostic methods capable of distinguishing between these two species. Currently, immunodiagnosis of A. perfoliata is based on the identification of the 12/13 kDa excretory/secretory (E/S) A. perfoliata immunoreactive antigen, which while apparently specific, has never been tested in sera from ...
Pal V, Kumar S, Malik P, Rai GP.Glanders is a contagious disease caused by the Gram-negative bacillus Burkholderia mallei. The number of equine glanders outbreaks has increased steadily during the last decade. The disease must be reported to the Office International des Epizooties, Paris, France. Glanders serodiagnosis is hampered by the considerable number of false positives and negatives of the internationally prescribed tests. The major problem leading to the low sensitivity and specificity of the complement fixation test (CFT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been linked to the test antigens currently us...
Lan DL, Wang CS, Deng B, Zhou JP, Cui L, Tang C, Yue H, Hua XG.West Nile virus (WNV) infection is an emerging zoonosis that threatens global public health. In this study, a total of 95 bird serum samples from 14 species and 341 horse serum samples were collected from 2008 to 2010 in Shanghai, China. All serum samples were screened initially for WNV-reactive antibodies using a competitive ELISA. The positive samples detected by ELISA were further confirmed using a plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT) for WNV and its most closely related flaviviruses in the area to avoid false positives due to cross-reactivity. Five (5·3%) of the bird serum samples ...
Moraveji M, Hosseini MH, Amrabadi O, Rahimian A, Namazi F, Namavari M.Neospora caninum, an apicomplexan protozoan parasite, is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle. However, limited information is presently available on the seroprevalence of Neospora antibodies in horses worldwide. The aim of the present study is to determine serological prevalence of Neospora infection in horses in Iran. Blood samples were obtained from 200 horses and tested for serum antibodies against Neospora spp. by the Neospora modified direct agglutination test (N-MAT). Antibodies were found in 64 (32%) horses being tested with titers of 1:80. This is the first serological su...
Hamond C, Martins G, Lawson-Ferreira R, Medeiros MA, Lilenbaum W.The objective of this study was to demonstrate the presence of leptospires in equine urine, as evidence for a potential role of horses in transmission of this organism. Thoroughbred horses (aged 2-5 years, n = 276) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were studied. After a severe storm, the premises of the animals remained flooded for 72 h. Blood samples for serology were collected on days 20 and 35 (day of storm = day 0). On day 20, 132 (47·8%) horses were seroreactive (titre ≥200) and, of these, 23 (31·0%) had increased antibody titres on day 35. Furthermore, 34 urine samples (for PCR and cultur...
Terkawi MA, Alhasan H, Ueno A, Ratthanophart J, Luo Y, Cao S, Kamyingkird K, Aboulaila M, Youn-Kyoung G, Nishikawa Y, Yokoyama N, Xuan X, Igarashi I.A recombinant C-terminal antigen derived from Babesia caballi 48-kDa rhoptry protein (rBc48/CT) was made for the development of a serologically diagnostic test. Antiserum raised against the rBc48/CT reacted specifically with the corresponding native protein by Western blotting and the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Next, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Bc48/CT-ELISA) and an immunochromatographic test based on the Bc48/CT (Bc48/CT-ICT) were constructed and employed for the detection of an antibody to B. caballi in a variety of equine sera. The results of Bc48/CT-ELISA...
Palmero J, Pusterla N, Cherry NA, Kasten RW, Mapes S, Boulouis HJ, Breitschwerdt EB, Chomel BB.Experimental infection of horses with Bartonella species is not documented. Objective: Determine clinical signs, hematologic changes, duration of bacteremia, and pattern of seroconversion in Bartonella henselae or Bartonella bovis-inoculated horses. Methods: Twelve (2 groups of 6) randomly selected healthy adult horses seronegative and culture negative for Bartonella spp. Methods: Experimental/observational study: Group I: B. henselae or saline control was inoculated intradermally into 4 naïve and 2 sentinel horses, respectively. Group II: same design was followed by means of B. bovis. Daily ...
Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S.A 12/13 kDa antigen, tapeworm ELISA test, developed for use in horses, was used to detect parasite-specific serum antibody, IgG(T), in the serum of donkeys. In a pilot study the 12/13 kDa antigen was tested and proved to detect the antibody, IgG(T), in donkey sera. Blood samples from 797 donkeys, naturally exposed to cestode infection, from four geographical localities were collected and sera were prepared and analysed. There was substantial serological evidence that donkeys were potentially infected with A. perfoliata. A range of ELISA OD values were obtained from the serological assay. Over ...
Butler CM, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Stout TA, van der Kolk JH, Wollenberg Lv, Nielen M, Jongejan F, Werners AH, Houwers DJ.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) has not been considered indigenous in The Netherlands. However, following the detection of an apparently indigenous subclinical Babesia caballi infection in a horse on Schouwen-Duiveland (an island in the Zeeland Province), a survey was undertaken between May and September 2010 to assess the prevalence of the causative agents of EP in the South-West of The Netherlands. Blood samples from 300 randomly selected horses were tested for specific antibodies against Theileria equi and B. caballi using an indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT), and for parasite DNA using ...
Ueno M, Kuroda N, Yahagi K, Ohtaki T, Kawanaka M.Commercial western blot (WB) assay was used to detect serum antibodies specific to Echinococcus multilocularis in 23 horses in which infection was confirmed by postmortem inspection at a slaughterhouse. Livers contained from 1 to >20 nodular lesions; foci diameter ranged from 1 to 25 mm. Antibody tests of serum from all 23 animals were negative for antigen bands at 7, 16, 18, and 26-28 kDa, which show specificity in the serum of human patients. However, sera from two infected horses with the largest nodules (diameter, 25 mm) showed positive response to one of the 22-kDa and 30-kDa antigen band...
Mattar S, Komar N, Young G, Alvarez J, Gonzalez M.We prospectively sampled flavivirus-naïve horses in northern Colombia to detect West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) seroconversion events, which would indicate the current circulation of these viruses. Overall, 331 (34.1%) of the 971 horses screened were positive for past infection with flaviviruses upon initial sampling in July 2006. During the 12-month study from July 2006-June 2007, 33 WNV seroconversions and 14 SLEV seroconversions were detected, most of which occurred in the department of Bolivar. The seroconversion rates of horses in Bolivar for the period of M...
Yeh JY, Lee JH, Park JY, Seo HJ, Moon JS, Cho IS, Kim HP, Yang YJ, Ahn KM, Kyung SG, Choi IS, Lee JB.The detection of West Nile virus (WNV) in areas endemic for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is complicated by the extensive serological cross-reactivity between the two viruses. A testing algorithm was developed and employed for the detection of anti-WNV antibody in areas endemic for JEV. Using this differentiation algorithm, a serological survey of poultry (2004 through 2009) and horses (2007 through 2009) was performed. Among 2681 poultry sera, 125 samples were interpreted as being positive for antibodies against JEV, and 14 were suspected to be positive for antibodies against undetermined...
Salvagni CA, Dagnone AS, Gomes TS, Mota JS, Andrade GM, Baldani CD, Machado RZ.Ehrlichiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by gram-negative and intracellular obligatory bacterial organisms. Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis - EGA (formerly Equine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, EGE) is a seasonal disease, normally self-limited in horses. There are few reports in Brazil about this ehrlichial agent, as well as its natural vectors. Nowadays, veterinarians are considering the suspicion of EGA in horses with suggestive symptoms of ehrlichiosis and which do not respond to piroplasmosis treatment. The aim of the present study was to identify horses exposed to the agent A. phagocytophil...
Huang X, Xuan X, Yokoyama N, Xu L, Suzuki H, Sugimoto C, Nagasawa H, Fujisaki K, Igarashi I.The gene encoding a truncated merozoite antigen-2 (EMA-2t) of Babesia equi was cloned and highly expressed in Escherichia coli as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein (G-rEMA-2t). Both G-rEMA-2t and rEMA-2t (after the removal of glutathione S-transferase) had good antigenicity. Either Western blot analysis with rEMA-2t or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with G-rEMA-2t clearly discriminated the sera of horses experimentally infected with B. equi from sera of horses infected with Babesia caballi and healthy horses, although rEMA-2t was not suitable for ELISA, probably owing to it...
Murray MJ, Eichorn ES, Dubovi EJ, Ley WB, Cavey DM.Whole blood and serum were collected from foals to determine the prevalence of Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV 2) infection in foals, age at which infection can first be identified and serological responses to infection. Equine herpesvirus type 2 was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 68 of 69 foals, 1-8-months-old, sampled once. Virus isolation was performed twice at intervals of 2-7 months on PBMCs from 33 foals and EHV2 was isolated on both occasions in all but one foal (negative, then positive). Regression analysis of log2-transformed reciprocal serum EHV2 virus ne...
Hu Z, Guo K, Du C, Sun J, Naletoski I, Chu X, Lin Y, Wang X, Barrandeguy M, Samuel M, Wang W, Lau PI, Wernery U, Raghavan R, Wang X.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is an important viral disease characterized by persistent infection in equids worldwide. Most EIA cases are life-long virus carriers with low antibody reactions and without the appearance of clinical symptoms. A serological test with high sensitivity and specificity is required to detect inapparent infection. In this study, a B-cell common epitope-based blocking ELISA (bELISA) was developed using a monoclonal antibody together with the EIAV p26 protein labelled with HRP. The test has been evaluated against the standard and with field serum samples globally. This ...
Qi T, Ai J, Sun Y, Ma H, Kang M, You X, Li J.Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite which is widely prevalent in humans and animals worldwide. The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and distinguishing acute or chronic infections have utmost importance for humans and animals. The SAG1, GRA7, and BAG1 proteins were used in the present study to develop the serological rSAG1-ELISA, rGRA7-ELISA and rBAG1-ELISA methods for the testing of specific IgG and IgM antibodies and differentiating acute or chronic toxoplasmosis in 3733 animals, including Tibetan sheep, yaks, pigs, cows, cattle, horses, ch...
Dohre SK, Kamthan A, Singh S, Alam SI, Kumar S.Glanders is a disease of horses, donkeys and mules. The causative agent Burkholderia mallei, is a biorisk group 3 pathogen and is also a biothreat agent. Simple and rapid diagnostic tool is essential for control of glanders. Using a proteomic approach and immunoblotting with equine sera, we identified 12 protein antigens that may have diagnostic potential. Various immunoreactive proteins e.g. GroEL, translation elongation factor Tu, elongation factor Ts, arginine deiminase, malate dehydrogenase, DNA directed RNA polymerase subunit alpha were identified on 2-dimentional immunoblots. One of thes...
Vanniasinkam T, Barton MD, Heuzenroeder MW.Linear B-cell epitopes of the Rhodococcus equi virulence-associated protein (VapA) were mapped using a synthetic peptide bank in this study. The peptides were screened in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a total of 70 sera from foals with current R. equi disease (51 sera), as well as from foals that had either recovered from R. equi infection 10 months previously (3 sera) or that had no known history of R. equi disease (16 sera). An epitope with the sequence NLQKDEPNGRA was identified and was universally recognized by all 51 sera from foals with R. equi disease and was not rec...
Trimble AC, Blevins CA, Beard LA, Deforno AR, Davis EG.Leptospirosis is a worldwide veterinary and public health concern, and well recognized infectious disease of horses. Seroprevalence rates vary with geography, but many studies have confirmed a high exposure rate. The correlation between seropositivity and shedding status has not been made in horses, however. The aims of this study were to use semi-nested PCR on urine from apparently healthy horses to determine period prevalence of leptospiral shedding and to correlate these findings with MAT results to establish associations with client based survey data regarding horse management and environm...
Katz J, Dewald R, Nicholson J.Procedurally similar competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (cELISA) methods were developed for the serodiagnosis of Babesia equi and Babesia caballi (piroplasmosis), Trypanosoma equiperdum (dourine), and Burkholderia mallei (glanders) infections in horses. Apparent test specificities for the B. equi, B. caballi, T. equiperdum, and B. mallei cELISAs were 99.2%, 99.5%, 98.9%, and 98.9%, respectively. Concordances and kappa values between the complement fixation (CF) and the cELISA procedures for the serodiagnosis of B. equi, B. caballi, T. equiperdum, and B. mallei infections in experimentally e...
Rikihisa Y, Reed SM, Sams RA, Gordon JC, Pretzman CI.In August 1986, an extensive serosurvey for prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies against Ehrlichia risticii, the causative agent of equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (EME), was performed at 2 Ohio racetracks, River Downs (RD) and Beulah Park (BP). Of 840 horses at RD and 574 at BP, 13 and 20%, respectively, were IgG antibody-positive (by indirect fluorescent antibody test results), with antibody titer ranging from 1:20 to 1:10,240. The titer observed at highest frequency at both racetracks was 1:80. A higher proportion of horses was ill at RD (operating during the summer months) than at BP (winter...
Szymańska-Czerwińska M, Jodełko A, Pluta M, Kowalik S, Niemczuk K.Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever. The cases of the disease are recorded in various species, including domestic animals. The aim of this investigation was to estimate the seroprevalence of C. burnetii in ruminants including cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. Totally, 2082 serum samples from 936 goats, 933 cattle, 89 sheep, and 124 horses, including various horse breeds, were tested by ELISA or complement fixation test. The examination revealed that Polish horses are seronegative while in the populations of cattle and small ruminants, seropositive animals are presented. The per...
Aquino LP, Machado RZ, Lemos KR, Marques LC, Garcia MV, Borges GP.The present research investigated the presence of T. evansi antibodies in animals from the subregion of Nhecolandia, in the Pantanal Sul-mato-grossense, by means of an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), and the pattern of polypeptide recognition by sera from experimentally and naturally infected hosts using Western blotting. Serum samples were obtained from bovines (n = 102), horses (n = 98), and dogs (n = 55), and from 32 free-ranging coatis (Nasua nasua). None of the bovines were found positive, while sera from 16 dogs (29%) and 23...
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...
Tsachev I, Baymakova M, Pantchev N.Lyme borreliosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis and monocytic ehrlichiosis are well studied in humans and dogs. In horses, these diseases are not widely investigated and limited information is available about their occurrence. The purpose of this study was to present the first ELISA-based report on the seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi in horses from Northern Bulgaria. A total of 192 horses were investigated from three regions in Northern Bulgaria (Northwestern, North-Central and Northeastern Bulgaria). All equine sera were tested for A. phagocyto...
Cabre O, Durand JP, Prangé A, Gomez J, Maurizi L, Tolou H, Davoust B.This study was carried out in 2003 to detected serological evidence of West Nile virus infection in 190 Army horses kept nearby French troops stationed in Southeast France and in Africa (Chad, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal). Both IgG and IgM antibodies were searched for using an ELISA assay. Specifiity of IgG antibodies was determined by western blot and plaque reduction seroneutraization. Finding showed that 79% of the Army horses (n=96) tested in Africa presented specific IgG antibodies. All horses that were seropositive for IgG were seronegative for IgM. None of the Army horses (n=94) tested i...
Woolcock JB, Mutimer MD, Bowles PM.Normal horses of all ages regularly show evidence of having responded immunologically to R. equi, thus adding serological support to epidemiological evidence that this organism is a normal intestinal inhabitant. More animals from "diseased" farms show a stronger antibody response when compared with foals from "healthy" farms. Various serological tests have been used to detect evidence of infection and to relate antibody level to severity of disease. Anti-R. equi IgG antibody levels, as measured by ELISA, are raised significantly during natural infection. Clinical severity of pneumonia can be c...
Wasiński B, Paschalis-Trela K, Trela J, Czopowicz M, Kita J, Żychska M, Cywińska A, Markowska-Daniel I, Carter C, Witkowski L.Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections worldwide, including in most livestock, some companion animals, horses, wildlife, and humans. Epidemiological estimation of its prevalence in all species is difficult due to the variety of clinical presentations and challenges regarding laboratory diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to measure the seroprevalence of leptospiral infection in Arabian horses kept in the largest breeding farms in Poland, representing over 15% of the Polish Arabian horse population. Leptospira antibodies were detected by MAT (cut-off 1:100) in 33.2% of...
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...
Gibson JS, O'Neill T, Thackray A, Hannant D, Field HJ.Serum antibody (virus neutralisation, complement fixation, IgM and IgG) responses to equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection were measured in six foals which were initially free from EHV-1 and EHV-4 infection and maternally-derived antibodies. Following primary infection, high titres of virus neutralisation and complement fixation antibodies were detectable against EHV-1, however, corresponding antibody levels against EHV-4 were low or inapparent, although the two viruses share a number of cross-reactive epitopes. In addition, following the primary infection with EHV-1, IgM levels increased bef...
Sánchez-Andrade R, Cortiñas FJ, Francisco I, Sánchez JA, Mula P, Cazapal C, Vázquez L, Suárez JL, Francisco R, Arias MS, Díez-Baños P, Scala A....We have developed a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on excretory/secretory antigens of second instar Gasterophilus for the diagnosis of gasterophilosis in grazing horses. Between January 2007 and January 2009, two experiments were carried out on free-ranging horses in northwest Spain. During the first year, monthly blood samples were collected from a herd of 25 horses. In the second year, a monthly serological survey was conducted for a total of 398 different horses. All the sera were analyzed by ELISA using excretory/secretory antigens from Gasterophilus intestinalis (Gp...
Bolwell CF, Rogers CW, Benschop J, Collins-Emerson JM, Adams B, Scarfe KR, Gee EK.A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of in a cohort of horses and to evaluate potential risk factors for seropositivity in horses in New Zealand. The convenience sample included 499 Thoroughbred racing and breeding horses from 25 commercial properties in North Island, New Zealand. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic data on horses and property-level information on grazing and management practices, pest (rodent) management, access to natural waterways, other livestock on the property, and possible contact with wildlife. The microscopic agglutinati...
Oduori DO, Onyango SC, Kimari JN, MacLeod ET.Equine piroplasmosis is one of the most significant tick-borne disease of equids. The prevalence of this disease in donkeys of semi-arid Kenya remains largely unexplored. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the extent to which donkeys in Nuu division, Kenya have been exposed to the haemoprotozoans Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis. The study also assessed the effect of age and sex on seroprevalence. A stratified sampling approach was used and three hundred and fourteen donkeys were sampled across nine sub-locations in Nuu divisi...
Dunowska M, Gopakumar G, Perrott MR, Kendall AT, Waropastrakul S, Hartley CA, Carslake HB.Infection with equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) may be asymptomatic, or may result in respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal death, or neurological disease. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of EHV-1 infection, including differentiation between genotypes with aspartic acid (D) and asparagine (N) at position 752 of the DNA polymerase sequence, within a selected population of New Zealand horses. The second aim was to determine the predictive value of serology for detection of latently infected horses. Retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLN) and trigeminal ganglia (TG) were dissected fro...
Afridi MJK, Mian AH, Saqib M, Abbas G, Ali J, Mansoor MK, Sial AUR, Rasheed I, Hussain MH. is a tick borne protozoan parasite which causes piroplasmosis among equines worldwide. The present study was aimed to determine seroprevalence of in donkeys, horses, and mules from two equine populated districts (Peshawar and Charsadda) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Methods: A total of 393 equine (195 horses, 194 donkeys and 4 mules) serum samples were collected from five and four randomly selected localities in Charsadda (n = 193) and Peshawar (n = 200), respectively. The presence of antibodies to was determined using a commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorben...
Quigley A, Sekiya M, Egan S, Wolfe A, Negredo C, Mulcahy G.There is little information on the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica infection in the horse population in Ireland or the potential impact of fluke infection on animal health. Objective: To investigate F. hepatica infection in the Irish horse population and to assess the diagnostic potential of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the F. hepatica recombinant cathepsin L1 (CL1) antigen. Methods: Cross-sectional abattoir survey of horses for liver fluke status. Methods: Animals (n = 200) were examined at an abattoir between May 2013 and April 2014. Horses were graded ante ...
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...
Naves JHFF, Oliveira FG, Bicalho JM, Santos PS, Machado-de-Ávila RA, Chavez-Olortegui C, Leite RC, Reis JKP.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a disease caused by a Lentivirus that is currently controlled exclusively by identification of seropositive animals. In most countries, including Brazil, the official diagnostic test for EIA is the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID). Although this assay has a high specificity it can produce false negative reactions or equivocal results due to weak precipitation lines, especially in samples from donkeys, mules or newly infected equids. In this pioneering study, it was used overlapping synthetic peptide pools to map and identify a consensus, widely recognised ...
Moch RW, Ebner EE, Barsoum LS, Botros BA.Seven hundred and fifty-eight serum samples from domestic and wild animals in Ethiopia were tested for leptospiral antibodies by the microscopic agglutination test. The following percentages of seropositivity were obtained: horse (91.3 per cent), cow (70.7 per cent), pig (57.1 per cent), goat (47.3 per cent), sheep (43.4 per cent), camel (15.4 per cent), and dog (8.3 per cent). All 54 samples from birds and wild animals were seronegative. Most of the positive sera exhibited reaction to more than one serotype and antibodies to serotype butembo were predominant in sera of the majority of the exa...
