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Veterinary parasitology2011; 179(1-3); 246-249; doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.01.064

A survey for piroplasmids in horses and Bactrian camels in North-Eastern Mongolia.

Abstract: Equine piroplasmosis caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi is widespread in Asia. The presence of these haemozoans in Mongolia was previously confirmed in domestic as well as in reintroduced Przewalski horses in which they cause significant pathology. The data on occurrence of piroplasms from Bactrian camels in Asia is lacking. A total of 192 horses, 70 Bactrian camels, and additional 16 shepherd dogs from the Hentiy province were included in our study. No clinical signs typical for piroplasmid infection were observed during the field survey. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of T. equi in blood smears from 67% of examined horses, with camels and dogs being negative. A two step PCR approach was used to detect piroplasms in peripheral blood. In the first "catch all" PCR reaction, amplification of the 496 bp-long fragment of the SSU rRNA gene enabled the detection of Babesia and Theileria spp. Second round multiplex PCR reaction used for species discrimination allowed the amplification of T. equi- and B. caballi-specific 340 bp and 650 bp-long regions of the SSU rRNA, respectively. This assay detected T. equi in 92.7% of horses, while the infections with B. caballi and dual infections were rare. In both PCR setups, camels and dogs were negative indicating that in the studied region, these hosts do not share piroplasms with horses.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2011-03-12 PubMed ID: 21402446DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.01.064Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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 aimed to identify the prevalence of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, parasites related to equine piroplasmosis, in horses, Bactrian camels, and shepherd dogs in Mongolia’s Hentiy province. The study discovered these parasites in a large percentage of the horse population but found no signs of such infections in the camels or dogs.

Objective and Methodology

  • The researchers looked into the presence of piroplasms (a group of parasites including Babesia caballi and Theileria equi) causing equine piroplasmosis, a disease widespread in Asian horses. They were also interested in the potential presence of such parasitic infections in Bactrian camels and shepherd dogs, about which sufficient data was not available.
  • For this study, 192 horses, 70 Bactrian camels, and 16 shepherd dogs were examined from the Hentiy province in Mongolia.
  • The researchers observed the subjects for any infection symptoms and took blood samples.
  • Microscopic examination of the blood smears determined the presence of the parasites. Further confirmation came from a two-step PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) process which aimed to detect and identify the specific species of piroplasms in the blood samples.

Findings

  • 67% of the horses tested positive for T. equi through microscopic analysis.
  • The PCR analysis, on the other hand, revealed T. equi in 92.7% of the horses, suggesting that this latter method was more sensitive.
  • Infections by B. caballi and dual infections (simultaneous infection by T. equi and B. caballi) were found to be comparatively rare among the horses.
  • None of the camels and dogs showed signs of infection nor tested positive for the parasites in both methodologies indicating that, in the studied area, these hosts are not known to share piroplasms with horses.

Conclusion and Implications

  • These results highlight the wide prevalence of equine piroplasmosis caused by T. equi in Mongolia’s horse population.
  • They also suggest that PCR testing is more sensitive than traditional microscope-based detection in terms of identifying these infections.
  • The findings provide useful data for local veterinary medicine, as well as those studying the geographical spread of these parasites, and can assist in the development of prevention and treatment strategies.

Cite This Article

APA
Sloboda M, Jirků M, Lukešová D, Qablan M, Batsukh Z, Fiala I, Hořín P, Modrý D, Lukeš J. (2011). A survey for piroplasmids in horses and Bactrian camels in North-Eastern Mongolia. Vet Parasitol, 179(1-3), 246-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.01.064

Publication

Veterinary parasitology
ISSN: 1873-2550
NlmUniqueID: 7602745
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 179
Issue: 1-3
Pages: 246-249

Researcher Affiliations

Sloboda, Michal
  • Department of Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1-3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic. slobodam@vfu.cz
Jirků, Milan
    Lukešová, Daniela
      Qablan, Moneeb
        Batsukh, Zayat
          Fiala, Ivan
            Hořín, Petr
              Modrý, David
                Lukeš, Julius

                  MeSH Terms

                  • Animals
                  • Babesiosis / epidemiology
                  • Babesiosis / parasitology
                  • Babesiosis / veterinary
                  • Camelus
                  • Dog Diseases / epidemiology
                  • Dog Diseases / parasitology
                  • Dogs
                  • Female
                  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
                  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
                  • Horses
                  • Male
                  • Mongolia / epidemiology

                  Citations

                  This article has been cited 14 times.
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