Cryptosporidium parvum infection in a mare and her foal with foal heat diarrhoea.

This study investigates the presence of Cryptosporidium infection in mare-foal pairs and assesses the occurrence of foal heat diarrhoea. The findings suggest a correlation between neonatal cryptosporidiosis and episodes of foal heat diarrhoea, which raises concerns for the health of horses and humans handling infected equines.

Research Methodology

• The study involved the examination of 37 mare-foal pairs born in the same stud farm across three breeding seasons from 2006 to 2008.
• Two faecal samples were collected from each mare before and after birth, while each foal was subjected to faecal sampling three times at 8, 10, and 12 days of age.
• The researchers collected a total of 74 mare samples and 111 foal samples.
• Each collected sample was divided into two. One aliquot underwent an ELISA test for the presence of Cryptosporidium, a parasitic protozoan that causes infectious diarrhoea.
• If the ELISA result turned positive, the second aliquot of the sample was molecularly examined through polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Findings and Results

• The research identified nine foals out of 37 with foal heat diarrhoea symptoms.
• One of the nine affected foals and its mare tested positive for Cryptosporidium.
• More specifically, the research detected Cryptosporidium in four faecal samples belonging to the infected mare-foal pair, confirmed by both ELISA and PCR results.
• The molecular analysis of the Cryptosporidium samples revealed them to be the species Cryptosporidium parvum, which is some form of zoonotic parasite.

Discussion and Implications

• This research is significant as it suggests a link between neonatal cryptosporidiosis and cases of foal heat diarrhoea.
• As Cryptosporidium parvum is a zoonotic organism, infected horses could potentially transmit the parasite to humans handling the diarrhoeic neonatal foals and their mares.
• The study underscores the need for further research to substantiate its findings, explore preventive measures, and assess the overall impact on horse and human health.