Prevalence of the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis in the South West of The Netherlands and the identification of two autochthonous clinical Theileria equi infections.
Abstract: Equine piroplasmosis (EP) has not been considered indigenous in The Netherlands. However, following the detection of an apparently indigenous subclinical Babesia caballi infection in a horse on Schouwen-Duiveland (an island in the Zeeland Province), a survey was undertaken between May and September 2010 to assess the prevalence of the causative agents of EP in the South-West of The Netherlands. Blood samples from 300 randomly selected horses were tested for specific antibodies against Theileria equi and B. caballi using an indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT), and for parasite DNA using a specific polymerase chain reaction combined with reverse line blotting (PCR-RLB). Twelve of the horses (4%) were seropositive for EP. Of these, nine (75%) were positive (titre⩾1:160) for B. caballi alone and three (25%) were also positive for T. equi. PCR-RLB detected T. equi DNA in five horses (1.6%), two of which were seronegative. Four (1.3%) of the positive horses (three positive for T. equi and one for both B. caballi and T. equi) were considered truly indigenous. During the study, two indigenous ponies from a farm situated outside the sampling area were diagnosed with acute clinical piroplasmosis characterized by severe anaemia and pyrexia. Blood smears showed T. equi - like inclusions in red blood cells, and T. equi infection was confirmed in both ponies by PCR-RLB. The initial subclinical B. caballi infection, the survey results and the two acute clinical EP cases confirmed the autochthonous transmission of B. caballi and T. equi infections in The Netherlands.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-01-21 PubMed ID: 22266019DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.12.014Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Blood Analysis
- Clinical Findings
- Diagnosis
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Prevalence
- Disease Transmission
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Infection
- Infectious Disease
- Parasites
- Pathogens
- Piroplasmosis
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Serodiagnosis
- Seroprevalence
- Theileria equi
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
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The study explores the presence of equine piroplasmosis, a tick-borne illness in horses, in the southwestern region of the Netherlands, which previously was not thought to be prevalent in the country. The researchers uncovered that indeed, this disease exists within the country’s indigenous horse population.
Methodology
- The research was undertaken from May to September 2010 following the detection of possible indigenous subclinical Babesia caballi (a parasite causing equine piroplasmosis) infection in a horse in Schouwen-Duiveland, an island in the Zeeland Province.
- The team collected blood samples from 300 randomly selected horses to test for the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis.
- The methods used to test the samples included an indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for the presence of specific antibodies against Theileria equi and B. caballi, and a polymerase chain reaction combined with reverse line blotting (PCR-RLB) for parasite DNA.
Findings
- The test revealed a 4% seropositive rate for equine piroplasmosis among the tested horses. Of these, 75% were positive for B. caballi alone and the remaining 25% were positive for both B. caballi and T. equi.
- The PCR-RLB test detected T. equi DNA in 1.6% of the horses, two of which were seronegative, implying that these horses had the infection without producing antibodies.
- Out of the positive horses, 1.3% were identified as truly indigenous with three positive for T. equi and one positive for both B. caballi and T. equi.
Case Study
- During the study, two local ponies from a farm outside the sampling area were found to have acute clinical piroplasmosis characterized by severe anaemia and fever.
- Blood smears showed T. equi type inclusions in red blood cells, confirming T. equi infection in both ponies as validated by PCR-RLB.
Conclusion
- The detection of a subclinical B. caballi infection, the survey results, and the acute clinical equine piroplasmosis cases confirmed the autochthonous (indigenous) transmission of B. caballi and T. equi infections in The Netherlands.
- This finding challenges the previous assumption that equine piroplasmosis was not indigenous to the Netherlands.
Cite This Article
APA
Butler CM, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Stout TA, van der Kolk JH, Wollenberg Lv, Nielen M, Jongejan F, Werners AH, Houwers DJ.
(2012).
Prevalence of the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis in the South West of The Netherlands and the identification of two autochthonous clinical Theileria equi infections.
Vet J, 193(2), 381-385.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.12.014 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 114, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
- Asymptomatic Infections / epidemiology
- Azure Stains / chemistry
- Babesia / immunology
- Babesia / isolation & purification
- Babesiosis / blood
- Babesiosis / epidemiology
- Babesiosis / veterinary
- Female
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses
- Male
- Netherlands / epidemiology
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Prevalence
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- Theileria / immunology
- Theileria / isolation & purification
- Theileriasis / blood
- Theileriasis / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 15 times.- Graham H, van Kalsbeek P, van der Goot J, Koene MGJ. Low seroprevalence of equine piroplasmosis in horses exported from the Netherlands between 2015 and 2021. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:954046.
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- Dirks E, de Heus P, Joachim A, Cavalleri JV, Schwendenwein I, Melchert M, Fuehrer HP. First Case of Autochthonous Equine Theileriosis in Austria. Pathogens 2021 Mar 4;10(3).
- Tirosh-Levy S, Gottlieb Y, Fry LM, Knowles DP, Steinman A. Twenty Years of Equine Piroplasmosis Research: Global Distribution, Molecular Diagnosis, and Phylogeny. Pathogens 2020 Nov 8;9(11).
- Onyiche TE, Taioe MO, Molefe NI, Biu AA, Luka J, Omeh IJ, Yokoyama N, Thekisoe O. Equine piroplasmosis: an insight into global exposure of equids from 1990 to 2019 by systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasitology 2020 Nov;147(13):1411-1424.
- Mshelia PW, Kappmeyer L, Johnson WC, Kudi CA, Oluyinka OO, Balogun EO, Richard EE, Onoja E, Sears KP, Ueti MW. Molecular detection of Theileria species and Babesia caballi from horses in Nigeria. Parasitol Res 2020 Sep;119(9):2955-2963.
- Onyiche TE, Suganuma K, Igarashi I, Yokoyama N, Xuan X, Thekisoe O. A Review on Equine Piroplasmosis: Epidemiology, Vector Ecology, Risk Factors, Host Immunity, Diagnosis and Control. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 May 16;16(10).
- Ionita M, Nicorescu IM, Pfister K, Mitrea IL. Parasitological and molecular diagnostic of a clinical Babesia caballi outbreak in Southern Romania. Parasitol Res 2018 Jul;117(7):2333-2339.
- Lobanov VA, Peckle M, Massard CL, Brad Scandrett W, Gajadhar AA. Development and validation of a duplex real-time PCR assay for the diagnosis of equine piroplasmosis. Parasit Vectors 2018 Mar 2;11(1):125.
- Montes Cortés MG, Fernández-García JL, Habela Martínez-Estéllez MÁ. Seroprevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses in Spain. Parasite 2017;24:14.
- Jongejan F, Ringenier M, Putting M, Berger L, Burgers S, Kortekaas R, Lenssen J, van Roessel M, Wijnveld M, Madder M. Novel foci of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks infected with Babesia canis and Babesia caballi in the Netherlands and in Belgium. Parasit Vectors 2015 Apr 17;8:232.
- Guidi E, Pradier S, Lebert I, Leblond A. Piroplasmosis in an endemic area: analysis of the risk factors and their implications in the control of Theileriosis and Babesiosis in horses. Parasitol Res 2015 Jan;114(1):71-83.
- Giubega S, Ilie MS, Morariu S, Imre M, Dreghiciu C, Rugea T, Ivascu S, Simion G, Dărăbuș G. Molecular Investigations of Babesia caballi from Clinically Healthy Horses in Southwestern Romania. Vet Sci 2024 Nov 27;11(12).
- Axt CW, Springer A, von Luckner J, Naucke TJ, Müller E, Strube C, Schäfer I. [Equine piroplasmosis: Case descriptions and overview of the epidemiological situation in Europe with focus on Germany]. Tierarztl Prax Ausg G Grosstiere Nutztiere 2025 Feb;53(1):49-58.
- Axt CW, Springer A, Strube C, Jung C, Naucke TJ, Müller E, Schäfer I. Molecular and Serological Detection of Vector-Borne Pathogens Responsible for Equine Piroplasmosis in Europe between 2008 and 2021. Microorganisms 2024 Apr 17;12(4).
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