Detection of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii in horses from Costa Rica.
Abstract: Serum samples from 315 horses from Costa Rica, Central America, were examined for the presence of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii by using the surface antigen (SAG) SnSAG2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the NhSAG1 ELISA, and the modified agglutination test, respectively. Anti- S. neurona antibodies were found in 42.2% of the horses by using the SnSAG2 ELISA. Anti- Neospora spp. antibodies were found in only 3.5% of the horses by using the NhSAG1 ELISA, and only 1 of these horses was confirmed seropositive by Western blot. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 34.0% of the horses tested, which is higher than in previous reports from North and South America. The finding of anti- S. neurona antibodies in horses from geographical areas where Didelphis marsupialis has wide distribution suggests that D. marsupialis is a potential definitive host for this parasite and a source of infection for these horses.
Publication Date: 2011-02-10 PubMed ID: 21506839DOI: 10.1645/GE-2722.1Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research presents findings from the study conducted to identify the presence of antibodies against parasites (Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii) in horses from Costa Rica. The study reveals a significant percentage of horses exhibited antibodies for these parasites, suggesting potential infection.
Research Methods
- The researchers collected serum samples from 315 horses in Costa Rica. The serum is the component of the blood that helps diagnose diseases through the presence or absence of specific antibodies.
- These samples were then examined for the presence of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii.
- The method used for testing was the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), known for its sensitivity in identifying the presence of specific antigens or antibodies.
- Different versions of the ELISA were used: SnSAG2 ELISA for S. neurona, NhSAG1 ELISA for Neospora spp., and the modified agglutination test for T. gondii.
Results and Findings
- The study found that 42.2% of the horses tested positive for antibodies against S. neurona.
- Only a small fraction, around 3.5%, displayed Neospora spp. antibodies, confirmed by NhSAG1 ELISA, and only one of these was additionally confirmed by Western blot, a method that provides greater specificity.
- For T. gondii, about 34.0% of the horses tested positive, a figure that is higher than previous reports from North and South America.
Implications of the Findings
- The findings suggest that the studied horses may be infected by these parasites as the presence of antibodies typically indicates either current or past infection.
- Since the study demonstrated a considerable proportion of horses carrying antibodies for S. neurona, this implies the potential role of D. marsupialis, a local opossum species, in the spread of this parasite. This is because D. marsupialis has a wide distribution in the area where the horse samples were taken, and is known to be a potential definitive host for the parasite.
Cite This Article
APA
Dangoudoubiyam S, Oliveira JB, Víquez C, Gómez-García A, González O, Romero JJ, Kwok OC, Dubey JP, Howe DK.
(2011).
Detection of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii in horses from Costa Rica.
J Parasitol, 97(3), 522-524.
https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-2722.1 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Science, Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546-0099, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Agglutination Tests / veterinary
- Animals
- Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
- Antigens, Protozoan / immunology
- Antigens, Surface / immunology
- Blotting, Western / veterinary
- Coccidiosis / epidemiology
- Coccidiosis / veterinary
- Costa Rica / epidemiology
- Didelphis
- Disease Vectors
- Encephalomyelitis / parasitology
- Encephalomyelitis / veterinary
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Male
- Neospora / immunology
- Sarcocystis / immunology
- Sarcocystosis / epidemiology
- Sarcocystosis / veterinary
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- Toxoplasma / immunology
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Stelzer S, Basso W, Benavides Silván J, Ortega-Mora LM, Maksimov P, Gethmann J, Conraths FJ, Schares G. Toxoplasma gondii infection and toxoplasmosis in farm animals: Risk factors and economic impact.. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2019 Jun;15:e00037.
- Schale S, Howe D, Yeargan M, Morrow JK, Graves A, Johnson AL. Protozoal coinfection in horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis in the eastern United States.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 May;32(3):1210-1214.
- Reed SM, Furr M, Howe DK, Johnson AL, MacKay RJ, Morrow JK, Pusterla N, Witonsky S. Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis: An Updated Consensus Statement with a Focus on Parasite Biology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Mar-Apr;30(2):491-502.
- Jiménez D, Romero-Zuñiga JJ, Dolz G. Serosurveillance of infectious agents in equines of the Central Valley of Costa Rica.. Open Vet J 2014;4(2):107-12.
- Aroussi A, Vignoles P, Dalmay F, Wimel L, Dardé ML, Mercier A, Ajzenberg D. Detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in horse meat from supermarkets in France and performance evaluation of two serological tests.. Parasite 2015;22:14.
- Dubey JP, Howe DK, Furr M, Saville WJ, Marsh AE, Reed SM, Grigg ME. An update on Sarcocystis neurona infections in animals and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM).. Vet Parasitol 2015 Apr 15;209(1-2):1-42.
- Hamidinejat H, Haji Hajikolaei MR, Ghorbanpoor M, Namavari M, Gol SM. Development and Standardization of Dot - ELISA for Detection of Neospora caninum Antibodies in Cattle and Comparison with Standard Indirect ELISA and Direct Agglutination Test (DAT).. Iran J Parasitol 2013 Oct;8(4):634-40.
- Yeargan MR, Alvarado-Esquivel C, Dubey JP, Howe DK. Prevalence of antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi in horses from Mexico.. Parasite 2013;20:29.
- Yang N, Mu MY, Yuan GM, Zhang GX, Li HK, He JB. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in slaughtered horses and donkeys in Liaoning province, northeastern China.. Parasit Vectors 2013 May 16;6:140.
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