Tick-borne diseases in horses refer to illnesses transmitted by tick vectors, affecting equine health through various pathogens. These diseases can lead to a range of clinical symptoms, including fever, lethargy, and lameness, depending on the specific pathogen involved. Common tick-borne diseases affecting horses include Lyme disease, equine piroplasmosis, and anaplasmosis. Diagnosis often involves serological tests, PCR assays, and clinical evaluation. Understanding the ecology of ticks and their interaction with horses is essential for managing and preventing these diseases. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of tick-borne diseases in horses.
Wei W, Lan Z, Li C, Liu X, Zhang X, Wang J, Bai X, Zhou L, Wang X, Wang C, Gao J.Babesia species are tick-transmitted hemoprotozoa that infect mammals, birds, and humans, posing a significant global threat to veterinary medicine threat. In this study, the authors systematically retrieved articles on the occurrence of Babesia species in domestic herbivores in China, including ovine, bovine, and equine species, through a search in the following six databases from their inception to 4 November 2024: PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and VIP Chinese Journal Database. A total of 94 studies (54 high-quality studies, 4...
Elsawy BSM, Alzan HF., a recently discovered tick-borne hemoparasite infecting equids globally, has significant implications for equine health. Although it is closely related to (sharing 23% genomic divergence), it establishes an asymptomatic carrier state in persistently infected horses, creating a silent transmission reservoir. Its discovery and unique genetics justify its classification as a new taxon. A critical diagnostic challenge is that the lack of the gene in prevents its detection by the standard cELISA, emphasizing the need for species-specific tools. Although species-specific PCR assays, including ...
Shams N, Jaydari A, Khademi P, Eydi J, Sgroi G.Due to the abundance of ticks on open grassy surfaces, racetracks may represent ideal scenarios for tick-borne pathogens. Therefore, in 2024/2025 Turkmen horses (Akhal-Teke breed) and ticks collected by dragging in paddocks of Iran were screened for Anaplasmataceae using Sanger sequencing on 16S rRNA, TRP36 and dsb genes. Amongst 200 horses, 11 (5.5%) tested positive without signs/symptoms, being 8 (4%) for Ehrlichia canis and 3 (1.5%) for Anaplasma ovis; no difference in prevalence was found by gender and age (p>0.05). All ticks were identified as Hyalomma asiaticum and Haemaphysalis sulca...
