Equine piroplasmosis in Kelantan, Malaysia: Clinicohemato-biochemical alterations in subclinically and clinically infected equids.

This study investigates equine piroplasmosis (EP), a horse disease that significantly affects the horse industry globally. Conducted in Malaysia, the research studied both sick and healthy horses and ponies to understand the impact of the disease and the prevalence of infection. The subclinical (asymptomatic) infection rate was determined to be much higher than the one for clinical infection, which showcased acute disease symptoms and significant changes in blood and biochemical parameters.

Introduction and Methodology

• This study was conducted in Kelantan, Malaysia on 306 equids (horses and ponies), which included both healthy and sick animals, to investigate the prevalence and severity of equine piroplasmosis (EP).
• The animals were sourced from 53 stables across eight districts. The sample represented a random collection of animals.
• A competitive-inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent test (cELISA) was utilized to identify antibodies present for two types of bacterium found in EP – Theileria equi and Babesia caballi.

Results

• Among studied animals, 70.26% had subclinical infections (symptoms not noticeable), while 9.80% had clinical infections (symptoms visible and disease acute).
• The titer, or concentration, of T. equi antibodies in sick animals was found to range from 1/160 to 1/1280 whereas, for B. caballi, the range was from 1/160 to 1/640.
• Animals with clinical infection exhibited an acute onset of disease with significant changes in Hemato-biochemical parameters, which are indicators of the health or disease status of the animal’s body systems.
• In contrast, animals with subclinical EP infection exhibited no visible symptoms and showed non-significant aberrations in Hemato-biochemical parameters, marking them as apparently healthy.

Conclusion

• This study demonstrated that equine piroplasmosis is prevalent in the equid population in Kelantan, Malaysia, which negatively impacts the global equine industry due to the importance of maintaining healthy horses.
• Moreover, the finding of a higher prevalence of subclinical infections suggests that many infected animals may go undiagnosed, thereby facilitating the transmission of the disease.