Seroprevalence refers to the measurement of the presence of specific antibodies in the blood serum of horses, indicating exposure to particular pathogens or diseases. This metric is used to assess the spread of infectious diseases within equine populations and can help in understanding the epidemiology of these conditions. Seroprevalence studies involve the collection and analysis of blood samples to determine the proportion of horses that have been exposed to a specific infectious agent. These studies provide valuable data for disease surveillance, control, and prevention strategies. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that focus on the seroprevalence of various infectious diseases in horses, exploring their distribution, risk factors, and implications for equine health management.
Morgante O, Vance HN, Shemanchuk JA, Windsor R.The epizootic of equine encephalomyelitis in 1965 in Alberta was proved to be due to Western Encephalomyelitis virus infection by serological findings and virus isolations.Sixty-three horses of 88 tested, showed a diagnostic rise of CF antibodies to Western Encephalomyelitis virus. Western Encephalomyelitis virus was isolated from 5 brains of horses. Homologous antibodies were shown in 3 of these animals, the only ones from which blood specimens were received. For the first time virological evidence is given that Western Encephalomyelitis virus infection in horses is found in more areas of Alb...
Tagliabue S, Figarolli BM, D'Incau M, Foschi G, Gennero MS, Giordani R, Giordani R, Natale A, Papa P, Ponti N, Scaltrito D, Spadari L, Vesco G....Nowadays, leptospirosis is a re‑emerging widespread infectious disease often underestimate worldwide. The National Reference Centre for Leptospirosis (NRCL), at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Brescia (Italy), with the cooperation of all the other Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali (IIZZSS), evaluated the distribution of such important zoonosis in Italy. Serological data obtained between 2010‑2011 by each laboratory were collected by the NRCL and discussed. Serum samples collected from 43,935 animal specimens were analysed by the Microsco...
Reif JS, Webb PA, Monath TP, Emerson JK, Poland JD, Kemp GE, Cholas G.In 1982-1983, an epizootic of vesicular stomatitis occurred in the western United States. Veterinarians, research workers, and regulatory personnel who were exposed to vesicular stomatitis virus were examined for patterns of human infection and prevalence of vesicular stomatitis New Jersey serotype neutralizing antibody. Insight into the mechanism of transmission was sought by comparing activities of antibody-positive and antibody-negative persons. A statistically significant risk factor was a history of infected animals sneezing in the face of serosurvey participants. Elevated odds ratios wer...
Moore RM, Moulthrop JI, Sather GE, Holmes CL, Parker RL.Field studies were conducted in 1972 to determine the immunization status of equines along the Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico borders. Interviews with horse owners were conducted along roads selected at random in the counties of Santa Cruz and Yuma, Ariz., and in Dona Ana County, N. Mex. At least 450 horse owners in each county were asked about the vaccination status of their animals, and information was taken on 1,260 animals. Blood specimens were obtained from every third equine, regardless of stated vaccination status, and tested for the presence of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE), we...
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...
Ybañez AP, Sato F, Nambo Y, Fukui T, Masuzawa T, Ohashi N, Matsumoto K, Kishimoto T, Inokuma H.A total of 87 Thoroughbred horses and 10 ixodid ticks from a ranch in Hidaka district, Hokkaido were tested for tick-borne diseases. Using the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) method, 3.4, 92.0 and 97.7% of the horses showed antibody titers of ≥ 80 against Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia helvetica, and Borrelia garinii, respectively. This is the first report of infection with the 3 pathogens in horses in Japan. Using PCR, DNAs from the peripheral blood of all horses were found negative with any Anaplasma, Rickettsia and Borrelia spp., while those from Haemaphysalis megaspinosa ticks...
Sánchez-Matamoros A, Beck C, Kukielka D, Lecollinet S, Blaise-Boisseau S, Garnier A, Rueda P, Zientara S, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM.African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral disease that causes high morbidity and mortality rates in susceptible Equidae and therefore significant economic losses. More rapid, sensitive and specific assays are required by diagnostic laboratories to support effective surveillance programmes. A novel microsphere-based immunoassay (Luminex assay) in which beads are coated with recombinant AHS virus (AHSV) structural protein 7 (VP7) has been developed for serological detection of antibodies against VP7 of any AHSV serotype. The performance of this assay was compared with that of a commercial enzyme-l...
Bezerra CS, Cargnelutti JF, Sauthier JT, Weiblen R, Flores EF, Alves CJ, Clementino IJ, Santos CSAB, Azevedo SS.The aim of this survey was to estimate the apparent herd-level and animal-level prevalences, as well as to identify risk factors and spatial clustering of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) positive herds in the state of Paraíba, semiarid of Brazil. The state was divided into three sampling strata: Sertão, Borborema and Zona da Mata/Agreste. For each sampling stratum, herd-level and animal-level prevalences were estimated by a two-stage sampling survey. First, a pre-established number of herds (primary sampling units) were randomly selected; second, within each herd, a pre-established number o...
Kalemkerian PB, Metz GE, Peral-García P, Lopez-Gappa J, Echeverría MG, Giovambattista G, Díaz S.We investigated the association of equine arteritis virus (EAV) infection and three short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms located within or in close proximity to equine lymphocyte antigen (ELA) region. We used a case-control design as a first approach before proceeding to select candidate genes. One hundred and sixty-five Silla Argentino horses were taken in 2002 from positive serological detections of EAV in Argentina, to determine whether STR genotypes were correlated to genetic susceptibility to EVA. Allele frequency distribution did not show significant differences between both groups (P...
Borchers K, Frölich K, Ludwig H.In blood samples of seven captive equid species from four German zoos EHV-1 specific antibodies were detected in 76% and EHV-4 specific antibodies in 73% of the 55 animals, whereas 93% were tested positive for EHV-2 and EHV-5, respectively. In only one blood sample from a Przewalski's wild horse EHV-4 DNA was amplified by PCR. From seven Przewalski's wild horses EHV-2, and from another one EHV-5 was isolated by cocultivation. The identity of the virus isolates was verified by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion.
Boussetta M, Chabchoub A, Ghram A, Jomaa I, Ghorbel A, Aouina T, Ben Amor H.Using the haemagglutination inhibition and immunodiffusion tests, a national serological survey was carried out to detect antibodies to equine influenza (EI) (A/equi/1/Prague 56 and A/equi/2/Miami 63) and equine infectious anaemia (EIA) in horse sera collected in northeastern Tunisia. 533 samples were analysed for EIA antibodies. All were negative. 13.6% of 433 equine sera tested for EI antibodies were positive. These results are discussed and compared with others obtained in Tunisia and bordering countries.
Athanasiou LV, Katsogiannou EG, Tyrnenopoulou P, Gougoulis D, Apostolidis KN, Papadakis SM, Kokkinaki KCG, Papatsiros VG, Tsokana CN.Among the various zoonotic pathogens that infect horses, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia spp. and Leishmania spp. have gained scientific interest, and relevant molecular and serological studies in horses have been conducted worldwide. Moreover, human and veterinary medicine have extensively applied alternatives to serum diagnostic samples-such as saliva-for detecting pathogens or antibodies. In this study, we investigated the exposure of horses in Greece to A. phagocytophilum, B. burgdorferi, and L. infantum, and we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of saliva compared to serum in detecting ...
Alshammari A, Gattan HS, Marzok M, Selim A.Neospora infections in equine are associated with reproductive disorders and neurological diseases. Nevertheless, Egypt has no epidemiological information on this parasite in equine. This study determined the prevalence of Neospora spp. infection in 325 equines from three Egyptian governorates located at Northern Egypt using cELISA. The prevalence of antibodies against Neospora spp. was 19% (95% CI: 14.09-25.05) in horse, 34.1% (95%CI: 24.92-44.69) in donkey and 26.7% (95% CI: 15.97-41.04) in mule. In comparison to horse, donkey had a considerably higher chance of contracting Neospora spp. in...
Salgado CRS, Silva ADNE, Arruda IF, Millar PR, Amendoeira MRR, Leon LAA, Teixeira RBC, de Lima JTB, Chalhoub FLL, Bispo de Filippis AM, Fonseca ABM....Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been demonstrated in various animal species; those recognized as potential zoonotic reservoirs pose a considerable risk to public health. In Brazil, HEV-3 is the only genotype identified in humans and swine nationwide, in a colony-breeding cynomolgus monkey and, recently, in bovines and capybara. There is no information regarding HEV exposure in the equine population in Brazil. This study aimed to investigate anti-HEV antibodies and viral RNA in serum samples from horses slaughtered for meat export and those bred for sport/reproduction purposes. We used a ...
Pusterla N, Lawton K, Barnum S.Adult horses are susceptible to equine coronavirus (ECoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), although, only ECoV has been linked to clinical disease. Little information is available regarding the seroprevalence against ECoV and SARS-CoV-2 in adult healthy horses. The goal of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence against two coronaviruses known to infect horses using convenience samples collected from horses recently imported from Europe to the United States from 2019 to 2023. A total of 385 banked serum samples were tested against ECoV and SARS-Co...
Caballero-Gómez J, Rivero-Juárez A, Cano-Terriza D, Fajardo T, Buono F, Jose-Cunilleras E, García J, Alguacil E, Rivero A, García-Bocanegra I. (HEV) is an important emerging zoonotic virus in Europe. Although domestic pigs and wild boar are the main reservoirs of this pathogen, susceptibility to this virus has been confirmed in a growing number of animal species, including equines. However, their role in the epidemiology of this virus remains poorly understood. Our aim was to assess HEV circulation and identify potential risk factors associated with exposure in equid species in different European countries. A total of 596 equines, including 496 horses, 63 donkeys and 37 mules/hinnies bred in four European countries (Spain, Italy, Un...
Magallanes S, Llorente F, Ruiz-López MJ, Martínez-de la Puente J, Soriguer R, Calderon J, Jímenez-Clavero MÁ, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Figuerola J.West Nile virus (WNV) is a re-emerging zoonotic pathogen with increasing incidence in Europe, producing a recent outbreak in 2020 in Spain with 77 human cases and eight fatalities. However, the factors explaining the observed changes in the incidence of WNV in Europe are not completely understood. Longitudinal monitoring of WNV in wild animals across Europe is a useful approach to understand the eco-epidemiology of WNV in the wild and the risk of spillover into humans. However, such studies are very scarce up to now. Here, we analysed the occurrence of WNV and Usutu virus (USUV) antibodies in ...
Kaps M, Wenderoth J, Aurich J, Aurich C.Equine viral arteritis (EVA) can induce a persistent carrier state in stallions which then shed the virus via semen. About 30 years ago, obligatory EVA testing of stallions used for artificial insemination (AI) was implemented in the European Union. Information on the efficacy of these regulations on the prevalence of EVA in stallions are not yet available. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed results of serological and virus antigen testing for EVA in sires of different age and breed referred to Vetmeduni Vienna for semen preservation or veterinary diagnostic procedures between 2001 and 202...
Pala S, Martínez-Sáez L, Llobat L, Marín-García PJ.Leishmaniasis and toxoplasmosis are two of the most common parasitic zoonoses. Leishmaniasis is endemic to 98 countries around the world, whereas toxoplasmosis is widely distributed throughout the world, causing significant health expenditure. Horses can play a relevant role in the transmission of the disease, being a silent reservoir, as clinical signs are not common. Serum samples from 166 horses living in eastern Spain (Mediterranean basin) were analysed to determine the presence of antibodies against Leishmania spp. and T. gondii by ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay.) The risk facto...
Axt CW, Springer A, Strube C, Jung C, Naucke TJ, Müller E, Schäfer I.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by (.) and/or (.) . The aim was to assess the percentage of positive test results for EP in horses in Europe and to identify risk factors for pathogen contact/infection. This study included results from PCR and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testing requested by European veterinarians between 2008 and 2021. Binary bivariate logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors. A total of 4060 horses were included. PCR testing was positive in 9.7% (154/1589), serology for in 15.2% (393/2591) and for in 6.8% (175/2578). The odds of positive...
Mekata H, Yamada K, Umeki K, Yamamoto M, Ochi A, Umekita K, Kobayashi I, Hirai T, Okabayashi T.Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a fatal zoonosis caused by ticks in East Asia. As SFTS virus (SFTSV) is maintained between wildlife and ticks, seroepidemiological studies in wildlife are important to understand the behavior of SFTSV in the environment. Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, is an SFTS-endemic area, and approximately 100 feral horses, called Misaki horses (Equus caballus), inhabit Cape Toi in Miyazaki Prefecture. While these animals are managed in a wild-like manner, their ages are ascertainable due to individual identification. In the present study, we conducted a s...
Shams F, Jokar M, Abdous A, Mohammadi P, Abbassioun A, Seuberlich T, Rahmanian V.Neospora spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are two closely related protozoan parasites that are widely distributed throughout the world. Horses can act as intermediate hosts for both parasites and can acquire disease. Blood samples were taken from 487 clinically healthy horses from 17 different mechanized stables in Tehran, the capital of Iran, during September and November of 2022. IFAT and ELISA were employed to detect antibodies directed against Neospora spp. and T. gondii. The anti-N. caninum antibodies were detected in 52 of the horses (10.67%) based on IFAT and in 86 of the 487 horses (17.65%) ...
Cornell TR, Fye BL, Nyassi E, Ceesay F, Jallow M, Langendonk RF, Wootton DG, Pinchbeck G, Scantlebury CE.Exposure rates to species, the causative agent of equine epizootic lymphangitis (EL), are unknown amongst working equids in The Gambia. The primary aims of this study were to estimate anti- antibody seroprevalence in the equid population in rural The Gambia and to explore risk factors for seropositivity. Unassigned: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted (February-July 2022), representing baseline measurements of a longitudinal cohort study. Horses ( 463) and donkeys ( = 92) without EL signs were recruited in 18 study sites. Following informed owner consent, equid clinical and m...
Sreenivasan CC, Naveed A, Uprety T, Soni S, Jacob O, Adam E, Wang D, Li F.Using metagenomic sequencing we identified equine rotavirus group B (ERVB) of ruminant origin in foal diarrhea outbreaks in the 2021 foaling season. To further investigate ERVB occurrence and determine its environmental stability, we collected mare and foal fecal samples from different farms in Central Kentucky during the 2022 foaling season. The RT-qPCR-based analyses showed that ERVB genome was detected in 16.67 % (42/252) of surveyed mare samples and 26.56 % (34/128) of foal samples. Furthermore, 94.12 % (16/17) of collected soil samples and 100 % (13/13) of water samples obtained f...
Alayil AL, Horwood PF, Gummow B, Picard JA, Joone CJ.Leptospira species are found worldwide, favouring tropical regions, and infect a wide range of animal species. Although renal persistence in infected individuals and excretion in urine is thought to be the primary mechanism of disease transmission, recent reports have suggested that persistence in the reproductive tract may be a feature in certain species, including the horse. The aim of this study was to investigate leptospiral infection, particularly within the reproductive tract, in healthy, non-breeding mares. Serum and endometrial swab samples were collected from 50 mares from the James C...
Jabar Aziz K, Mikaeel FB, Azeez SH, Bilal SJ.Equine neosporosis is an intracellular protozoan disease with a global distribution, affecting a diverse range of warm-blooded animals. Neospora caninum Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 is associated with foetal loss, neurological disease and abortion in equids. No information was available regarding equine N. caninum infection among equids in Iraq. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of N. caninum in equines by using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA). A total of 329 blood samples randomly selected from equines, comprising 268 ...
Leishmaniosis is a vector-borne and zoonotic disease with major sanitary implications at global scale. In Europe, Leishmania infantum is the only endemic etiologic agent, which has been previously reported in a wide range of mammal. However, the information about the role of equids in the L. infantum epidemiology is limited. We aimed to assess the seroprevalence and identify potential risk factors associated with L. infantum seropositivity in equine populations across several European countries. A total of 1364 equids, including 1005 horses, 240 donkeys and 119 mules/hinnies from Spain, Italy,...
Talib MT, Nasir A, Kashif M, Rahman A, Rehman AU, Akbar H, Nadeem A, Howe DK, Azam MN.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-Neospora (N.) caninum and anti-N. hughesi antibodies in horses and to appraise the associated risk factors in the two central districts (Jhang and Toba Tek Singh) of Punjab Province, Pakistan. A total of 300 horse sera were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to Neospora spp. using a competitive ELISA. The overall prevalence of antibodies against Neospora species in horses was 25 % (75/300; 95 % CI 20.1-29.9). The prevalence of antibodies to N. caninum and N. hughesi species was 12.3 % (37/300; 95 % CI 8.6-16) and 19.3 % (5...
Martins AS, Romanowski TNA, Campos JS, Vieira RC, Silva TA, Borsanelli AC.Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by bacteria of Brucella genus, which affects domestic and wild animals and humans. In horses, the infection can be caused by Brucella canis, Brucella suis or Brucella abortus, through the ingestion of contaminated food, contact of bacteria with skin wounds or through the respiratory tract, manifesting with signs such as fistulous withers and reduced performance. The present study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of Brucella abortus infection in equids in the state of Goiás. Sampling was carried out on 299 farms across 132 municipalities, with a total of 89...
Yessinou RE, Farougou S, Olopade JO, Oluwayelu DO, Happi A, Happi C, Groschup M.Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonotic viral disease prevalent in Africa. While infection is asymptomatic in animals, it can cause severe illness with hemorrhagic manifestations and high mortality rates in humans. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and potential risk factors of CCHF in wild (rodents, birds) and domestic (cattle, horses) animals in Benin. A cross-sectional study was carried out from 2022 to 2024 with the assistance of cattle breeders, hunters, farmers and bushmeat sellers in 15 districts found in three agroecological zones in the country. ...
Franco JJ, Gonzálvez M, Cano-Terriza D, Barbero-Moyano J, Jose-Cunilleras E, Alguacil E, García J, García-Bocanegra I.Equine viral arteritis is a notifiable infectious disease with sanitary and economic implications at a global scale. A cross-sectional serosurvey was performed to determine the exposure of equids to the Alphaarterivirus equid [Equine Arteritis Virus (EAV)] in three regions in western Europe. Serum samples from 1425 equids (1196 horses, 104 donkeys, and 125 mules/hinnies) from Catalonia (northeastern Spain), Andalusia (southern Spain) and southeastern United Kingdom (UK) were collected during the period 2011-2023. The overall EAV seroprevalence in EAV-unvaccinated equids was 9.7 % (138/1425; 9...
