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Home / Equine Research Bank / BMC Vet Res / A cross-sectional study on performance evaluation in Italian...
BMC veterinary research2024; 20(1); 79; doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-03908-0

A cross-sectional study on performance evaluation in Italian standardbred horses’ real-time PCR-positive for Theileria equi.

Abstract: Inflammatory myopathy and perivasculitis have been recently described in horses with chronic equine piroplasmosis (EP). These alterations may be linked to poor performances. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence for EP in clinically healthy Italian Standardbred (IS) racehorses and to compare laboratory parameters and performance metrics between positive and negative horses. Real-time PCR was applied for the detection of T. equi and B. caballi positivity. Haematology parameters, blood chemistry results, subjective muscle mass scores, and performance metrics were compared between PCR-positive and -negative horses. Results: This cross-sectional study included 120 well-trained IS racehorses and was performed over a two-years period. The prevalence of T. equi was 36.3%, whereas all samples were negative for B. caballi. Red blood cells count, haemoglobin concentration, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities were significantly higher in PCR-positive horses, whereas blood urea nitrogen, globulin concentration and globulin-to-albumin ratio were significantly lower in PCR-positive horses compared to PCR-negative ones. Nonetheless, all values fell within the physiological range. The best racing time, which was selected as the most representative of the performance metrics at the principal component analysis, was not affected by PCR positivity, the muscle mass score or the training yard. The best racing time was significantly better in horses with a mild or no signs of muscular atrophy, within the PCR-positive group. The muscle mass score was associated with the training yard in PCR-negative horses. Conclusions: Prevalence of T. equi was high in IS racehorses in southern Italy. The absence of obvious changes in haematological and biochemical parameters, as well as performance metrics in positive horses, highlights the need for specific diagnostic tests to identify chronically infected horses.
© 2024. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2024-03-05 PubMed ID: 38443906PubMed Central: PMC10913582DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-03908-0Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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 research explores the prevalence of equine piroplasmosis in Italian Standardbred racehorses and compares the laboratory and performance parameters between infected and non-infected horses. The study found that while there were some differences across certain parameters, it didn’t significantly impact the horses’ performance metrics.

Objective and Methodology

  • The study aimed to assess the prevalence of equine piroplasmosis in Italian Standardbred racehorses, and to compare different scientific parameters between the horses that tested positive and those that tested negative for the disease.
  • The researchers used real-time PCR for detecting the presence of the pathogens T. equi and B. caballi, which cause equine piroplasmosis.
  • They also compared haematology parameters, blood chemistry results, muscle mass scores, and performance metrics between the PCR-positive and PCR-negative horses.

Study Sample and Results

  • The study sample included 120 well-trained Italian Standardbred racehorses during a two-year period.
  • The study found that 36.3% of the horses had T. equi, while none had B. caballi.
  • It was observed that red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities were significantly higher in PCR-positive horses. In contrast, blood urea nitrogen, globulin concentration and globulin-to-albumin ratio were significantly lower in PCR-positive horses compared to PCR-negative ones. However, all these values were within the usual range.

Performance Metrics

  • The researchers found that the best racing time, a critical indicator of performance, was not affected by whether a horse was PCR-positive or PCR-negative, its muscle mass score, or the training yard where it trained.
  • Interestingly, the best racing times were found in horses with mild or no signs of muscular atrophy, within the PCR-positive group.
  • In PCR-negative horses, however, the muscle mass score was connected to the training yard.

Conclusions

  • The study revealed a high prevalence of T. equi in Italian Standardbred racehorses in southern Italy.
  • The lack of noticeable differences in haematological and biochemical parameters, as well as in performance metrics between the positive and negative horses, emphasizes the need for specific diagnostic tests to identify horses infected chronically.

Cite This Article

APA
(2024). A cross-sectional study on performance evaluation in Italian standardbred horses’ real-time PCR-positive for Theileria equi. BMC Vet Res, 20(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-024-03908-0

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Pages: 79
PII: 79

Researcher Affiliations

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Theileria / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Globulins

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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