Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Serological Surveys
Serological surveys for horses involve the collection and analysis of blood samples to detect the presence of antibodies or antigens related to infectious agents. These surveys are instrumental in understanding the epidemiology of diseases within equine populations, helping to identify exposure to pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Through serological testing, researchers can assess the prevalence of diseases, track their spread, and evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination programs. Common serological tests used in equine studies include the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the virus neutralization test. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, findings, and implications of serological surveys in equine health management.
The first isolation of equine arteritis virus in Argentina. This paper describes the first isolation of equine arteritis virus (EAV) in Argentina. The virus was isolated from the semen of an imported seropositive stallion held in isolation at a breeding farm in Tandil in the Buenos Aires Province. In addition, viral nucleic acid was detected in seminal plasma using the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The isolated virus was propagated in cell cultures and confirmed as EAV by indirect immunofluorescence and virus neutralisation, using a serum specific for the reference Bucyrus strain of EAV. As far as the authors are aware, this is the f...
Seroprevalence of antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in equids residing in Oklahoma. A sampling of equids from the state of Oklahoma produced an estimate of seroprevalence of antibody to Sarcocystis neurona to be about 89.2%. This figure represents the highest currently reported regional seroprevalence of antibody to this organism. Regional differences in seroprevalence were found in the western quadrants of the state relative to the eastern quadrants of the state, with a significantly higher seroprevalence in the eastern regions. Thoroughbreds were found to exhibit a statistically significant lower seroprevalence as a breed group when compared with other breeds sampled.
[Epizootic equine influenza in Tunisia]. The authors describe an equine influenza epizootic that occurred in Tunisia during February and March 1998 in the regions of Tozeur, Sousse and Tunis. They relate the symptoms, the different stages of diagnosis and the serological results.
Investigation of Neospora sp. antibodies in aborted mares from Normandy, France. Neospora caninum, an apicomplexan protozoan parasite, is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle while limited information is presently available on association between equine Neospora infections and abortions. The aim of the present study was to document prevalence of antibodies against Neospora sp. in aborted mares as a clue to the role of N. caninum in mare reproductive failure in Normandy, France. Using an agglutination test, the number of animals with elevated (>80) anti-Neospora sp. antibody titer was higher in a group of 54 aborted mares than in randomly chosen groups of 45 ma...
Screening for West Nile virus infections of susceptible animal species in Austria. Avian mortality and encephalomyelitis in equines are considered good indicators for West Nile virus (WNV) activity. We retrospectively tested 385 horse sera for WNV antibodies and looked for WNV nucleic acid and/or WNV antigen in paraffin embedded tissues from 12 horses with aetiologically unresolved encephalomyelitis and 102 free-living birds of different species which had been found dead. With the exception of four horses originating from eastern European countries investigated on the occasion of transit through Austria, all horse sera were negative. Nested RT-PCR of the horse tissues yielde...
Epidemiology of leptospirosis: observations on serological data obtained by a “diagnostic laboratory for leptospirosis” from 1995 to 2001. Serological data on leptospira infection were reported and discussed. From 1995 to 2001, the blood serum samples of 9885 domestic and wild animals and humans, living in Northern and Central Italy, were examined by the macroagglutination test (MAT) employing bratislava, ballum, canicola, grippotyphosa, icterohaemorrhagiae, pomona, hardjo and tarassovi serovars as antigens. Considering sera with > or = 1:400 antibody titers as positive, 674 (6.81%) animals scored positive. Sheep, horses, pigs and dogs gave the highest number of positive responses, particularly against the serovar bratislava and,...
Rabies DNA vaccine in the horse: strategies to improve serological responses. In order for DNA vaccines to become a practical alternative to conventional vaccines their ability to induce antibody responses in large mammals needs to be improved. We used DNA vaccination against rabies in the horse as a model to test the potential of two different strategies to enhance antibody responses in a large mammalian species. The administration of the DNA vaccine in the presence of aluminum phosphate improved both the onset and the intensity of serological responses but was not potent enough to achieve seroconversion in all vaccinated ponies. However, when the DNA vaccine was formu...
Prevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum, Sarcocystis neurona, and Toxoplasma gondii in wild horses from central Wyoming. Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora caninum, N. hughesi, and Toxoplasma gondii are 4 related coccidians considered to be associated with encephalomyelitis in horses. The source of infection for N. hughesi is unknown, whereas opossums, dogs, and cats are the definitive hosts for S. neurona, N. caninum, and T. gondii, respectively. Seroprevalence of these coccidians in 276 wild horses from central Wyoming outside the known range of the opossum (Didelphis virginiana) was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were found only in 1 of 276 horses tested with the modified agglutination test using 1:25, 1:50, ...
Seroepidemiologic studies on Babesia equi and Babesia caballi infections in horses in Jilin province of China. The prevalence of equine piroplasmosis caused by Babesia equi and Babesia caballi in northeast China has remained unknown, although the People's Republic of China is recognized as an endemic country for the diseases. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of equine piroplasmosis in Jilin province, a part of northeast China. A total of 111 serum samples were taken from horses in eastern Jilin, and examined for diagnosis of B. equi and B. caballi infections by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with recombinant antigens, equi merozoite antigen-1 and P48, respectively. Of the 11...
Lateral transmission of equine arteritis virus among Lipizzaner stallions in South Africa. A serological study conducted in 1995 revealed that 7 stallions at the Lipizzaner Centre, Gauteng, South Africa, were seropositive for antibody to equine arteritis virus (EAV). A Lipizzaner stallion imported into South Africa from Yugoslavia in 1981 had previously (1988) been confirmed to be an EAV carrier. Despite being placed under life-long breeding quarantine, EAV had been transmitted between stallions at the Lipizzaner Centre. Objective: To investigate the phylogenetic relationships between the strain of EAV shed in the semen of the original carrier stallion and strains recovered from the...
Serologic evidence of West Nile virus infection in horses, Yucatan State, Mexico. Serum samples were obtained from 252 horses in the State of Yucatan, Mexico, from July to October 2002. Antibodies to West Nile virus were detected by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in three (1.2%) horses and confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization test. We report the first West Nile virus activity in the State of Yucatan.
Serologic evidence of West Nile virus infection in horses, Coahuila State, Mexico. Serum samples were obtained from 24 horses in the State of Coahuila, Mexico, in December 2002. Antibodies to West Nile virus were detected by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization test in 15 (62.5%) horses. We report the first West Nile virus activity in northern Mexico.
Equine ehrlichiosis in Italy. The authors review equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE) in Italy from 1996 to 2002. In 1996, the first case of EGE has been observed in a horse affected with specific symptomatology (fever, lethargy, anorexia, limb edema, thrombocytopenia, and petechiae). In 1997, a seroepidemiological survey was performed in the province of Rome on 563 animals using IFAT. The authors describe the last case, which occurred on 2002 in a 15-year-old male, bay, half-breed, tick-infested horse. Clinical features included fever, lethargy, limb edema, icterus, leukocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Laboratory tests...
Serologic survey of domestic animals for zoonotic arbovirus infections in the Lacandón Forest region of Chiapas, Mexico. A serologic survey in domestic animals (birds and mammals) was conducted in four communities located in the Lacandón Forest region of northeastern Chiapas, Mexico, during June 29 to July 1, 2001, with the objective to identify zoonotic arboviruses circulating in this area. We collected 202 serum samples from healthy domestic chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, horses and cattle. The samples were tested by plaque-reduction neutralization test for antibodies to selected mosquito-borne flaviviruses (family Flaviviridae), including St. Louis encephalitis (SLE), Rocio (ROC), Ilheus (ILH), Bussuquara ...
Collaborative study for the establishment of two European Pharmacopoeia Biological Reference Preparations for serological potency testing of tetanus vaccines for veterinary use. The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM) has organised an international collaborative study, divided into two phases, aimed at producing and establishing two suitable reference sera for serological potency testing of tetanus vaccines for veterinary use for batch consistency demonstration. In phase I pools of sera were produced by immunising guinea pigs and rabbits with tetanus toxoid using the immunisation schedule prescribed by the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) for potency testing of tenanus vaccines for veterinary use. Following aliquoting and freeze-drying, character...
The serologic response of horses to equine arteritis virus as determined by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (c-ELISAs) to structural and non-structural viral proteins. In an effort to further characterize the humoral immune response of horses to equine arteritis virus (EAV), direct and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (c-ELISAs) were developed using monoclonal and polyclonal anti-sera to structural (G(L), N and M) and non-structural (nsp1) viral proteins. A nsp1-specific monoclonal antibody was produced to facilitate development of a c-ELISA to this protein. Data obtained using the various c-ELISAs confirm that the M protein is a major target of the antibody response of horses to EAV. However, none of the c-ELISAs that were developed were as se...
A serological survey of Rhodococcus equi infection in foals in central Italy: comparison of two antigens using an ELISA test. A serological survey of Rhodococcus equi infection was carried out on 602 blood samples collected from foals in central Italy. The assay was performed with an ELISA test using two different antigens prepared with reference strains of R. equi, ATCC 33071 and ATCC 6939. A positive reaction was obtained on 81 serum samples (13.45%) (OD > or = 0.3) using antigen ATCC 33071, and on 73 serum samples (12.12%) using antigen ATCC 6939. Although the frequency of the disease was not high, the serological positivity was about 13%. There was no statistically significant difference between males and fema...
Qualitative evaluation of selective tests for detection of Neospora hughesi antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of experimentally infected horses. 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...
Reactivity against Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora by serum antibodies in healthy French horses from two farms with previous equine protozoal myeloencephalitis-like cases. Sarcocystis neurona is considered a leading cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a common infectious neurological disease in horses in the Americas. EPM-like cases associated with S. neurona peptide reactive antibodies in Western blots were recently described in Normandy, France. In this report, antibodies reacting with S. neurona merozoites were detected using an agglutination assay at titers ranging from 50 to 500 in sera from 18/50 healthy horses from two farms with a previous EPM-like case. Higher values were found in older animals. Four out of six horses which traveled or st...
West Nile virus epidemic in horses, Tuscany region, Italy. During the late summer of 1998, veterinary authorities in Tuscany, Italy, received reports of cases of neurologic disease among horses residing in a large wetland area located in the provinces of Florence and Pistoia. West Nile virus was isolated from two of the six horses that died or were euthanized. A retrospective epidemiologic study identified 14 clinical neurologic cases that occurred from August 20 to October 6 (attack rate of 2.8%). A serologic survey conducted over a 700-km2 area in stables with and without apparent clinical cases confirmed a wider spread of the infection, with an ove...
Use of sentinel herds to study the epidemiology of vesicular stomatitis in the state of colorado. Approximately 20 sentinel premises in Colorado were visited quarterly during a 3-year prospective study to investigate the persistence of VS viruses in horses. A survey to assess management practices, health events, animal movements and environmental data was completed at each visit. Collection of serum samples and oral swabs along with a clinical examination of sentinel horses were performed at each visit. Serum samples were tested by 2 or more of 4 available serological tests. The data collected for two years (August 1998 to August 2000) are reported here. During this period there was seroco...
Neutralizing antibodies against vesicular stomatitis viruses (serotypes New Jersey and Indiana) in horses in Costa Rica. Serum samples were collected from domestic horses in 4 different regions of Costa Rica to detect antibodies against vesicular stomatitis viruses, serotypes New Jersey (VSV-NJ) and Indiana (VSV-IN). A total of 214 samples were tested by the virus neutralization test. The sampling regions were identified as low North Pacific dry area (1), low Middle Atlantic humid area (2), low South Pacific humid area (3), and the highlands (4). In region 1, 97.1% of horses were positive for VSV-NJ and 16.5% were positive for VSV-IN. The mean antibody titer and its standard deviation after logarithmic transform...
The use of chosen serological diagnostic methods in Lyme disease in horses. Part I. Indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The investigations aimed to establish the reliability of the chosen serological tests designed for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis in horses. The investigations were carried out in five Horse Breeding Centres (OHK). Statistical analysis methods were used to determine sample size for particular centres: Krasne (Kr)--49, Łack (Ł)--21, Walewice (W)--111, BogusŁawice (B)--17, Kozienice (K)--61. The experimental material comprised the chosen horses from which blood samples were collected in order to obtain sera. The test used for indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA No 75941, Bio-Mérieux) i...
West Nile virus outbreak in horses, southern France, 2000: results of a serosurvey. During late summer and autumn 2000, a West Nile fever outbreak in southern France resulted in 76 equine clinical cases; 21 horses died. We report the results of a large serosurvey of all equines within a 10-km radius of laboratory-confirmed cases. Blood samples were obtained from 5,107 equines, distributed in groups of 1 to 91 animals. West Nile virus immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies were found in 8.5% of animals (n=432). Forty-two percent of the IgG-positive animals were also IgM positive. Horses living in small groups were more affected than those in large groups. The results suggest that We...
Serological responses of mares and weanlings following vaccination with an inactivated whole virus equine herpesvirus 1 and equine herpesvirus 4 vaccine. Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a major cause of respiratory disease and abortion in horses worldwide. Although some vaccines have been shown experimentally to reduce disease, there are few reports of the responses to vaccination in the field. This study measured antibody responses to vaccination of 159 mares (aged 4-17 years) and 101 foals (aged 3-6 months) on a large stud farm with a killed whole virus EHV-1/4 vaccine used as per the manufacturer's recommendations. Using an EHV glycoprotein D (gD)-specific ELISA and a type-specific glycoprotein G (gG) ELISA, respectively 13.8 and 28.9% of ma...
The classification of seven serotypes of equine encephalosis virus and the prevalence of homologous antibody in horses in South Africa. Selected isolates of equine encephalosis virus were shown to have comparable viral protein profiles and to represent seven distinct serotypes, based on cross-neutralization tests. Serotype-specific virus-neutralizing antibody in serum samples from horses confirmed the widespread occurrence of infection. The distribution and prevalence of individual serotypes however, varied considerably. Localised foci with an increased seasonal seroconversion in groups of horses to a specific serotype and the detection of an ongoing low level of infection from other serotypes within the population, confirmed ...
The role of birds in the ecology of West Nile virus in Europe and Africa. Surveys on wild birds conducted during the last two decades in Europe, notably Poland and the Czech Republic, to determine their infection rate with WN virus have revealed endemic foci of infection. Some species of seropositive birds were nonmigrators while others were hatchlings of migrating species. Persistently infected avian reservoirs are potential sources of viruses for mosquitoes that multiply in the temperate European zone in hot, wet summers. In the past, evidence for geographical circulation of WN viruses was based on antigenic analysis of strains from different countries while more ...
Demonstration of continuously seropositive population against Borna disease virus in Misaki feral horses, a Japanese strain: a four-year follow-up study from 1998 to 2001. Borna disease virus (BDV)-specific antibodies were monitored in Misaki feral horses annually for 4 years using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Among 130 horses examined, 35 (26.9%) with an ECLIA count above 1000 once or more were judged as BDV seropositive. Throughout the study period, p24 antibodies were more frequent than p40 antibodies in almost all positive animals. Among the 35 seropositive horses, the ECLIA count was consistently high in 12 cases. Eleven horses seroconverted from negative to positive and 7 underwent reversal. The count in the remaining 95 horses (73.1%) ...
Transmission patterns of African horse sickness and equine encephalosis viruses in South African donkeys. African horse sickness (AHS) and equine encephalosis (EE) viruses are endemic to southern Africa. AHS virus causes severe epidemics when introduced to naive equine populations, resulting in severe restrictions on the movement of equines between AHS-positive and negative countries. Recent zoning of South Africa has created an AHS-free zone to facilitate equine movement, but the transmission dynamics of these viruses are not fully understood. Here, we present further analyses of serosurveys of donkeys in South Africa conducted in 1983-5 and in 1993-5. Age-prevalence data are used to derive estim...
