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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / A serological and clinical follow-up in horses with confirme...
Equine veterinary journal1999; 31(6); 473-477; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb03853.x

A serological and clinical follow-up in horses with confirmed equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis.

Abstract: For diagnosis of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE) serological testing of antibodies to Ehrlichia equi is frequently used. An elevated antibody level is often misinterpreted as confirmative of active infection and results in treatment with antibiotics. If only seropositivity is considered as the diagnostic criterium, many horses showing convalescence titres will be treated. This study was undertaken to obtain information about the kinetics of antibodies during the course of infection and, for this purpose, 45 horses with clinical signs of EGE and confirmed ehrlichiaemia were monitored serologically and clinically over time. For a correct handling of cases with suspected EGE, the following results should be helpful: (i) 44% of the horses in the acute ehrlichiaemic stage were found to be serologically positive to E. equi; (ii) all horses showed a rapid increase in antibody titre, reaching maximum value within a month after the ehrlichiaemic stage; (iii) when 8 months had passed, titres had decreased, but 18 of 24 examined horses were still serologically positive; (iv) after 12-15 months most of the horses (n = 10) were serologically negative; and (v) the period required for complete clinical recovery varied from one day up to 6 months after antibiotic treatment.
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Publication Date: 1999-12-22 PubMed ID: 10596927DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb03853.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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.

This research investigated the kinetics of antibodies in horses with equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE), a disease infecting white blood cells, to correct common misinterpretations on elevated antibody level as confirmation of active infection.

Research Objective

  • This study was undertaken to understand the behavior and movement of antibodies during the course of EGE, a disease that often leads to incorrect treatment of horses based on misinterpretations of elevated antibody levels as active infection. It focused on the period within which the antibody levels peak and decline, and the time it takes for clinical recovery after treatment.

Methods and Participants

  • 45 horses with EGE and confirmed ehrlichiaemia, a condition characterized by bacterium Ehrlichia in the blood, were observed in this study. The horses were monitored both serologically (concerning the serum or plasma in blood) and clinically over a period.

Findings

  • It was found that only 44% of the horses in the acute ehrlichiaemic stage were serologically positive for E. equi, the bacterium causing EGE.
  • All the horses demonstrated a rapid increase in antibody titre, achieving its highest value within a month after entering the ehrlichiaemic stage.
  • When eight months had passed, the antibody levels decreased, but almost 75% of examined horses (18 out of 24) were still serologically positive.
  • After a period of 12-15 months, most horses tested (10 out of a non-specified amount) were found to be serologically negative.
  • The time frame for complete clinical recovery after antibiotic treatment varied from just a single day up to as long as six months.

Conclusion

  • This study provided valuable insights into the kinetics of antibodies during EGE, which can help in diagnosing and treating the disease more accurately. The research concluded that elevated antibody levels should not always be considered as an indication of active infection, and that the period of clinical recovery post-antibiotic treatment can significantly vary.

Cite This Article

APA
Artursson K, Gunnarsson A, Wikström UB, Engvall EO. (1999). A serological and clinical follow-up in horses with confirmed equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Equine Vet J, 31(6), 473-477. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb03853.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 0425-1644
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 31
Issue: 6
Pages: 473-477

Researcher Affiliations

Artursson, K
  • Department of Bacteriology, The National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
Gunnarsson, A
    Wikström, U B
      Engvall, E O

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
        • Ehrlichia / immunology
        • Ehrlichiosis / blood
        • Ehrlichiosis / immunology
        • Ehrlichiosis / veterinary
        • Female
        • Follow-Up Studies
        • Granulocytes
        • Horse Diseases / blood
        • Horse Diseases / immunology
        • Horses
        • Male
        • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary

        Citations

        This article has been cited 20 times.
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          pubmed: 23633715
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          pubmed: 22043078
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          doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-53-8pubmed: 21314927google scholar: lookup
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          doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-42-453pubmed: 11957373google scholar: lookup
        16. Stuen S, Djuve R, Bergström K. Persistence of granulocytic Ehrlichia infection during wintertime in two sheep flocks in Norway.. Acta Vet Scand 2001;42(3):347-53.
          doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-42-347pubmed: 11887395google scholar: lookup
        17. Stuen S, Bergström K. The effect of two different oxytetracycline treatments in experimental Ehrlichia phagocytophila infected lambs.. Acta Vet Scand 2001;42(3):339-46.
          doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-42-339pubmed: 11887394google scholar: lookup
        18. Stuen S, Bergström K. Serological investigation of granulocytic Ehrlichia infection in sheep in Norway.. Acta Vet Scand 2001;42(3):331-8.
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        19. Stuen S, Engvall EO, Brändström B, Slettebø J. A case of ovine tick-borne fever in December in Norway.. Acta Vet Scand 1999;40(4):351-4.
          doi: 10.1186/BF03547014pubmed: 10918904google scholar: lookup
        20. Stuen S, Artursson K, Olsson Engvall E. Experimental infection of lambs with an equine granulocytic Ehrlichia species resembling the agent that causes human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE).. Acta Vet Scand 1998;39(4):491-7.
          doi: 10.1186/BF03547775pubmed: 9926463google scholar: lookup
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