An epidemiological survey of equine piroplasmosis in donkeys and horses in Malawi.
Abstract: Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by Theileria equi, Theileria haneyi, and Babesia caballi in equids, such as horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras. A comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of T. equi and B. caballi is vital for EP management. The present study surveyed T. equi and B. caballi infections in donkeys and horses in Malawi. Blood samples were collected from 185 equines, including 178 donkeys in Lilongwe (n = 136) and Dedza (n = 42) districts, and seven horses in Lilongwe district. The blood samples were used to measure hematocrit values and prepare thin smears and blood spots on FTA cards. Microscopic examination of the blood smears detected T. equi in 91 equines (49.2 %), including 88 donkeys (49.4 %) and three horses (42.9 %), while B. caballi was not detected. Screening of DNA samples extracted from FTA cards with species-specific PCR assays detected T. equi in 156 (84.3 %) equines, including 152 (85.4 %) donkeys and four (57.1 %) horses, whereas all animals were negative for B. caballi. We found that the mean hematocrit value of infected donkeys (28.1 %) was significantly lower (P value = 0.0004) than that of uninfected donkeys (31.9 %). Additional analysis of T. equi-positive DNAs with the genotype-specific PCR assays detected all five genotypes (A, B, C, D, and E) in donkeys and four genotypes (A, B, C, and D) in horses. In summary, the present study, the first to report the T. equi infection in Malawi, suggests the need for EP control due to its potential clinical significance.
Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2025-07-11 PubMed ID: 40803789DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101315Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- 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 investigates the occurrence of Equine piroplasmosis, a tick-borne disease primarily affecting horses and donkeys, in Malawi. The researchers established the prevalence of the disease and identified the various genotypes present in the area.
Research Method
- The researchers collected blood samples from two species of equids: horses and donkeys.
- The majority of the samples were from donkeys (178), whereas the smaller portion was from horses (7).
- All studied animals were from Lilongwe and Dedza districts in Malawi.
- These blood samples were then used for multiple purposes: to prepare thin smears, to create blood spots on FTA cards, and to measure hematocrit values (the ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood).
Results
- Upon examination, the blood smears showed that 49.2% of the equines were infected by Theileria equi, a parasite causing Equine piroplasmosis.
- Nearly half of the donkeys (49.4%) and around 43% of the horses were found to be infected.
- However, none of the tested animals showed presence of Babesia caballi, another parasite causing the same disease.
- Upon DNA screening, it was found that an even higher percentage of equines (84.3%) were infected by T. equi; this included 152 donkeys and four horses.
- Again, none of the animals were found to be carrying B. caballi.
- When comparing infected and uninfected donkeys, a significant difference was found in hematocrit values. The average values were lower in infected donkeys (28.1%) versus the uninfected ones (31.9%). Lower hematocrit values could indicate anemia, which can be a symptom of Equine piroplasmosis.
- A deeper analysis was performed on T. equi-positive DNAs, which identified all five known genotypes (A, B, C, D, and E) in donkeys, and four genotypes (A, B, C, and D) in horses.
Conclusions
- The study provides the first evidence of T. equi in Malawi and demonstrates a high prevalence of the infection in the tested equids, warranting further consideration for disease control measures.
- The results highlighted the need for management and control of Equine piroplasmosis due to its potential clinical significance
Cite This Article
APA
Chatanga E, Ahedor B, Atabek B, Kainga H, Kapalamula T, Razemba T, Nakao R, Nonaka N, Sivakumar T, Yokoyama N.
(2025).
An epidemiological survey of equine piroplasmosis in donkeys and horses in Malawi.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports, 63, 101315.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101315 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Ghana.
- Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi.
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi.
- Lilongwe Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (LSPCA), Lilongwe, Malawi.
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan; Division of Parasitology, Veterinary Research Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan; Division of Parasitology, Veterinary Research Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; WOAH Reference Laboratory for Equine Piroplasmosis, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan. Electronic address: yokoyama@obihiro.ac.jp.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Malawi / epidemiology
- Horses
- Babesiosis / epidemiology
- Babesiosis / parasitology
- Equidae / parasitology
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Theileriasis / epidemiology
- Theileriasis / parasitology
- Theileria / isolation & purification
- Theileria / genetics
- Babesia / genetics
- Babesia / isolation & purification
- Prevalence
- Male
- Female
- Hematocrit / veterinary
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of competing interest All authors declare no competing interests related to the present study.
Citations
This article has been cited 0 times.Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
