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Tropical animal health and production1980; 12(1); 50-60; doi: 10.1007/BF02242631

A comparison of the complement fixation and immunofluorescent antibody tests in a survey of the prevalence of Babesia equi and Babesia caballi in horses in the Sultanate of Oman.

Abstract: The incidence of antibodies to Babesia equi and B. caballi in horses in the Royal Stables of His Majesty the Sultan of Oman was assessed by complement fixation (CF) and immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) tests. Two series of samples taken with a 2-year interval, mainly from animals reared in Oman, indicated a stable but high prevalence of antibodies. On the 2 occasions 94.6 and 97.7% respectively were positive to B. equi by IFA and 76.8 and 75.0% were positive by CF. For B. caballi the corresponding percentage figures were lower--67.9 and 40.9 by IFA and 30.4 and 40.9 by CF. A group of animals tested within 4 months of importation gave 60.4% positive reactions by IFA and 62.5% by CF to B. equi; 6.3% positive to B. caballi by IFA and 8.3% by CF. These figures are consistent with the probable relative prevalence of the parasites. The discrepancy between the results obtained by the 2 serological tests was probably due to the greater sensitivity of the IFA test and the faster decay of the antibodies detectable by the CF test.
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Publication Date: 1980-02-01 PubMed ID: 6989066DOI: 10.1007/BF02242631Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study compares two tests, the Complement Fixation (CF) test and the Immunofluorescent Antibody (IFA) test, in assessing the presence of Babesia equi and B. caballi in horses at the Sultan of Oman’s Royal Stables. The results show a high and stable presence of these parasites across a two-year span, with the IFA test tending to show higher rates of infection than the CF test.

Objective of the Study

  • The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two tests, the Complement Fixation (CF) test, and the Immunofluorescent Antibody (IFA) test, in determining the presence of two species of Babesia – Babesia equi and B. caballi – in horses.
  • The research was conducted within the Royal Stables of His Majesty the Sultan of Oman over a period of two years, with results being collected at two set intervals.

Methodology

  • Two sets of samples were taken at a two-year interval, primarily from horses raised in Oman.
  • The samples were subjected to both CF and IFA tests to detect the presence of antibodies against B. equi and B. caballi.
  • An additional group of animals, tested within four months of importation, were also subjected to the same tests.

Results and Observations

  • The results indicated a high prevalence of antibodies, showing the stable presence of these parasites in the studied population.
  • The IFA tests presented higher positive results compared to the CF tests. Specifically, for B. equi, 94.6 and 97.7% horses were found positive in two consecutive tests while for B. caballi, the positive results were comparatively less; 67.9 and 40.9% respectively.
  • The imported group presented 60.4% positive reactions to B. equi by IFA and 62.5% by CF; 6.3% were found positive to B. caballi by IFA and 8.3% by CF.

Conclusions

  • The difference in results between the IFA and CF tests could be attributed to the greater sensitivity of the IFA test and the faster decay of antibodies that the CF test could detect.
  • The results are consistent with the probable relative prevalence of the parasites. This implies that the occurrence of these diseases in this horse population is high, indicting potential health concerns and the need for effective parasitic control measures.

Cite This Article

APA
Donnelly J, Joyner LP, Graham-Jones O, Ellis CP. (1980). A comparison of the complement fixation and immunofluorescent antibody tests in a survey of the prevalence of Babesia equi and Babesia caballi in horses in the Sultanate of Oman. Trop Anim Health Prod, 12(1), 50-60. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02242631

Publication

Tropical animal health and production
ISSN: 0049-4747
NlmUniqueID: 1277355
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Pages: 50-60

Researcher Affiliations

Donnelly, J
    Joyner, L P
      Graham-Jones, O
        Ellis, C P

          MeSH Terms

          • Animals
          • Antibodies / analysis
          • Babesia / immunology
          • Babesiosis / diagnosis
          • Babesiosis / epidemiology
          • Complement Fixation Tests
          • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
          • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
          • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
          • Horses
          • Oman

          References

          This article includes 10 references
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          Citations

          This article has been cited 7 times.
          1. Nadal C, Marsot M, Le Metayer G, Boireau P, Guillot J, Bonnet SI. Spatial and Temporal Circulation of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in France Based on Seven Years of Serological Data. Pathogens 2022 Feb 9;11(2).
            doi: 10.3390/pathogens11020227pubmed: 35215171google scholar: lookup
          2. Aziz KJ, Al-Barwary LTO. Epidemiological Study of Equine Piroplasmosis (Theileria equi and Babesia caballi) by Microscopic Examination and Competitive-ELISA in Erbil Province North-Iraq. Iran J Parasitol 2019 Jul-Sep;14(3):404-412.
            pubmed: 31673258
          3. Soosaraei M, Haghi MM, Etemadifar F, Fakhar M, Teshnizi SH, Hezarjaribi HZ, Asfaram S. Status of theileriosis among herbivores in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Vet World 2018 Mar;11(3):332-341.
            doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2018.332-341pubmed: 29657426google scholar: lookup
          4. Jaffer O, Abdishakur F, Hakimuddin F, Riya A, Wernery U, Schuster RK. A comparative study of serological tests and PCR for the diagnosis of equine piroplasmosis. Parasitol Res 2010 Feb;106(3):709-13.
            doi: 10.1007/s00436-009-1669-5pubmed: 19894063google scholar: lookup
          5. Ribeiro MF, Costa JO, Guimarães AM. Epidemiological aspects of Babesia equi in horses in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Vet Res Commun 1999 Oct;23(6):385-90.
            doi: 10.1023/a:1006389725759pubmed: 10543367google scholar: lookup
          6. Donnelly J, Joyner LP, Frank C. Quantitative epidemiological studies on the prevalence of babesiosis in horses in Kuwait. Trop Anim Health Prod 1980 Nov;12(4):253-8.
            doi: 10.1007/BF02236625pubmed: 7456126google scholar: lookup
          7. Tenter AM, Otte MJ, Gonzalez CA, Abuabara Y. Prevalence of piroplasmosis in equines in the Colombian province of Cordoba. Trop Anim Health Prod 1988 May;20(2):93-8.
            doi: 10.1007/BF02242234pubmed: 3041656google scholar: lookup
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