Antibody detection against Borrelia burgdorferi in horses located in the suburban areas of Monterrey, Nuevo León.

This study investigated the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in horses located in Monterrey, Mexico. The results showed a low frequency of seropositivity, further affirming the existence of Lyme disease in different animal species in northeast Mexico.

Research Objectives and Methodology

• The main objective of this study was to detect the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in horses in the suburbs of Monterrey, Mexico. Borrelia burgdorferi is the bacterium causing Lyme disease.
• The researchers collected blood serum from 100 horses across various counties in Monterrey, capturing data on each horse’s age, sex, county of residence, clinical signs, and the presence of ectoparasites.
• The team used indirect immunofluorescence to analyze all serum samples. Any positive serum from this process was further examined using a Western blot test.

Findings and Interpretation

• The serological test gave 34 positive results at a 1:64 dilution. Of these, six samples were positive at a 1:128 dilution, three at a 1:256 dilution, and one at a 1:512 dilution.
• The Western blot test, which confirmed the presence of infection, was successful only with the sample positive at the highest dilution of 1:512.
• The low numbers of positive sera suggest a low frequency of horses having the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies, i.e., low seropositivity to B. burgdorferi.
• The findings align with previous studies, confirming the presence of Lyme disease in various animal species in northeast Mexico. Even though the number is low, the presence of antibodies indicates exposure to the B. burgdorferi bacteria, pointing at the existence of Lyme disease in these regions.

Significance of the Study

• This study’s findings add to the body of evidence supporting the existence of Lyme disease in various animal species in northeastern Mexico.
• The study affirms that horses in suburban Monterrey can contract Lyme disease, which helps with understanding the disease’s spread and may inform control and prevention strategies.
• The results also show the importance of utilizing sensitive detection methods like Western blot for confirming B. burgdorferi infections.