Diagnosis and prevalence of leptospira infection in aborted and stillborn horses.
Abstract: A study was conducted to evaluate a recently available fluorescent antibody test (FAT) conjugate for the detection of leptospires in tissues of aborted and stillborn horses, to determine the leptospira antibody titers and compare serologic test results with FAT results, and to determine the prevalence of leptospira-induced abortions and stillbirths in the equine population of central Kentucky. From July 1, 1988 through June 30, 1989, 15 (2.5%) of 594 submissions (fetuses, stillborn foals, and/or placentas) were diagnosed as leptospirosis by the FAT (14 of 15 tested) and/or microscopic agglutination test (12 of 14 tested). Of the 12 serologically positive fetal fluids, 10 had high tigers against Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona and 2 against serovar grippotyphosa.
Publication Date: 1991-04-01 PubMed ID: 1892931DOI: 10.1177/104063879100300208Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research article focuses on studying a newly available fluorescent antibody test (FAT) designed to detect leptospires in aborted and stillborn horses. The researchers assessed the results of this test, leptospirosis-induced abortions and stillbirths, and leptospira antibody counts in a horse population in Kentucky over a period of a year.
Objective and Methodology of the Study
The purpose of this study was:
- To evaluate a recently developed fluorescent antibody test (FAT), used for detecting leptospires in the tissues of aborted and stillborn horses.
- To assess the quantity of leptospira antibodies and co-relate the results of serologic testing with the FAT results.
- To find out the frequency of leptospira-triggered abortions and stillbirths in the horses of central Kentucky.
The time frame for this research was one year, starting from July 1, 1988, till June 30, 1989.
Results of the Study
The findings suggested:
- Out of 594 submissions, which included fetuses, stillborn foals, and placentas, leptospirosis was diagnosed in 15 cases (or 2.5%) through the use of FAT (in 14 out of the 15 tested) and/or microscopic agglutination tests (in 12 out of 14 tested).
- From the 12 cases that tested positive for leptospirosis via serological testing, 10 had high antibody counts against Leptospira interrogans (a specific variety of the bacterium) of the serovar pomona strain, and 2 against the serovar grippotyphosa strain.
Based on these findings, the study contributes valuable data on the prevalence and diagnosis of leptospira infection in aborted and stillborn horses, mainly focusing on the reliability of the new FAT diagnostic test. This could offer insights into better care and prevention strategies for horse populations.
Cite This Article
APA
Donahue JM, Smith BJ, Redmon KJ, Donahue JK.
(1991).
Diagnosis and prevalence of leptospira infection in aborted and stillborn horses.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 3(2), 148-151.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063879100300208 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Science, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40511.
MeSH Terms
- Abortion, Veterinary / diagnosis
- Abortion, Veterinary / epidemiology
- Abortion, Veterinary / microbiology
- Agglutination Tests
- Animals
- Breeding
- Female
- Fetal Death / diagnosis
- Fetal Death / epidemiology
- Fetal Death / microbiology
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Kentucky / epidemiology
- Leptospira interrogans / isolation & purification
- Leptospirosis / diagnosis
- Leptospirosis / epidemiology
- Leptospirosis / microbiology
- Leptospirosis / veterinary
- Pregnancy
- Prevalence
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Żmudzki J, Ostrowska M, Arent Z, Frant M, Kochanowski M, Nowak A, Zębek S, Kalinowski D, Podgórska K. Seroprevalence of equine leptospirosis in Poland (2019-2023). Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):523-532.
- McCreight KA, Barbosa LN, Odoi A, Reed P, Rajeev S. Leptospira seroprevalence in dogs, cats, and horses in Tennessee, USA. J Vet Diagn Invest 2025 Jan;37(1):119-125.
- Li L, Li S, Ma H, Akhtar MF, Tan Y, Wang T, Liu W, Khan A, Khan MZ, Wang C. An Overview of Infectious and Non-Infectious Causes of Pregnancy Losses in Equine. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jul 2;14(13).
- Hamond C, Adam EN, Stone NE, LeCount K, Anderson T, Putz EJ, Camp P, Hicks J, Stuber T, van der Linden H, Bayles DO, Sahl JW, Schlater LK, Wagner DM, Nally JE. Identification of equine mares as reservoir hosts for pathogenic species of Leptospira. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1346713.
- Cantón GJ, Navarro MA, Asin J, Chu P, Henderson EE, Mete A, Uzal FA. Equine abortion and stillbirth in California: a review of 1,774 cases received at a diagnostic laboratory, 1990-2022. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023 Mar;35(2):153-162.
- Fagre AC, Mayo CE, Pabilonia KL, Landolt GA. Seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. in Colorado equids and association with clinical disease. J Vet Diagn Invest 2020 Sep;32(5):718-721.
- Akter R, Legione A, Sansom FM, El-Hage CM, Hartley CA, Gilkerson JR, Devlin JM. Detection of Coxiella burnetii and equine herpesvirus 1, but not Leptospira spp. or Toxoplasma gondii, in cases of equine abortion in Australia - a 25 year retrospective study. PLoS One 2020;15(5):e0233100.
- Hamond C, Pinna A, Martins G, Lilenbaum W. The role of leptospirosis in reproductive disorders in horses. Trop Anim Health Prod 2014 Jan;46(1):1-10.
- Båverud V, Gunnarsson A, Engvall EO, Franzén P, Egenvall A. Leptospira seroprevalence and associations between seropositivity, clinical disease and host factors in horses. Acta Vet Scand 2009 Mar 30;51(1):15.
- Palaniappan RU, McDonough SP, Divers TJ, Chen CS, Pan MJ, Matsumoto M, Chang YF. Immunoprotection of recombinant leptospiral immunoglobulin-like protein A against Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona infection. Infect Immun 2006 Mar;74(3):1745-50.
- Palaniappan RU, Chang YF, Jusuf SS, Artiushin S, Timoney JF, McDonough SP, Barr SC, Divers TJ, Simpson KW, McDonough PL, Mohammed HO. Cloning and molecular characterization of an immunogenic LigA protein of Leptospira interrogans. Infect Immun 2002 Nov;70(11):5924-30.
- Lees VW, Gale SP. Titers to Leptospira species in horses in Alberta. Can Vet J 1994 Oct;35(10):636-40.
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