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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Protozoal coinfection in horses with equine protozoal myeloe...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2018; 32(3); 1210-1214; doi: 10.1111/jvim.15127

Protozoal coinfection in horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis in the eastern United States.

Abstract: Infection by 2 or more protozoa is linked with increased severity of disease in marine mammals with protozoan encephalitis. Objective: To assess whether horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Sarcocystis neurona also have evidence of infection with Neospora hughesi or Toxoplasma gondii. We hypothesized that horses with EPM would be more likely than horses with cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM) to be positive for antibodies to multiple protozoan parasites. Methods: One hundred one horses with neurologic disease: 49 with EPM and 52 with CVSM. Methods: Case review. Archived serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 101 horses were examined. Inclusion criteria included neurologic disease, antemortem or postmortem diagnosis of EPM or CVSM, and availability of serological results or archived samples for testing. Additional testing for antibodies was performed on serum for T. gondii, as well as serum and CSF for N. hughesi. Results: Horses with EPM were more likely than horses with CVSM to have positive immunologic results for S. neurona on serum (95.9% versus 76.9%, P = .0058), CSF (98.0% versus 44.2%, P < .00001), and serum : CSF titer ratio (91.8% versus 0%, P < .00001). Positive results for Neospora and Toxoplasma were uncommon, with total seroprevalence rates of 12.9% and 14.9%, respectively. The proportions of EPM cases testing positive for Neospora and Toxoplasma (16% and 12%) were not different from the proportions of CVSM cases testing positive (10% and 17%, P = .31 and .47, respectively). Conclusions: Results do not indicate an important role for protozoal coinfection in EPM in the eastern United States.
Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2018-04-10 PubMed ID: 29633348PubMed Central: PMC5980325DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15127Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study aims to assess whether horses with the neurologic disease, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), also have infections with other protozoa such as Neospora hughesi or Toxoplasma gondii. However, the findings suggest that protozoal coinfection may not play a significant role in EPM cases in the eastern United States.

Objectives and Hypothesis of the Study

The study aims to:

  • Determine whether horses with EPM are prone to other protozoal infections such as Neospora hughesi and Toxoplasma gondii.
  • Test the hypothesis that these horses are more likely to have antibodies to multiple protozoan parasites compared with horses suffering from another neurologic disease, cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM).

Methodology

The research was carried out as follows:

  • The study involved 101 horses suffering from neurologic disorders, 49 had EPM and 52 had CVSM.
  • Samples of both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were taken from the horses.
  • The presence of antibodies to the protozoa was indicated by positive testing results. The antibodies were detected via immunoassays, tests that use the immune response for detecting diseases.
  • The researchers tested the samples for antibodies against T. gondii and N. hughesi.

Results

The study resulted in the following findings:

  • Horses with EPM were shown to be more likely to have positive test results for S. neurona in serum and CSF than those with CVSM. This shows a strong correlation between EPM and S. neurona infection.
  • However, positive results for antibodies to Neospora and Toxoplasma were relatively uncommon, suggesting a low rate of coinfection with these protozoa.
  • There was no significant difference between the proportions of EPM cases and CVSM cases testing positive for Neospora and Toxoplasma, contradicting the initial hypothesis.

Conclusion

The study concluded that protozoal coinfections do not seem to play a significant role in EPM in the eastern United States, as positive results for additional protozoal infections were infrequent.

Cite This Article

APA
Schale S, Howe D, Yeargan M, Morrow JK, Graves A, Johnson AL. (2018). Protozoal coinfection in horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis in the eastern United States. J Vet Intern Med, 32(3), 1210-1214. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15127

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 32
Issue: 3
Pages: 1210-1214

Researcher Affiliations

Schale, Sarah
  • Department of Clinical Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
Howe, Daniel
  • Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Yeargan, Michelle
  • Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Morrow, Jennifer K
  • Equine Diagnostic Solutions, LLC, Lexington, Kentucky.
Graves, Amy
  • Equine Diagnostic Solutions, LLC, Lexington, Kentucky.
Johnson, Amy L
  • Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
  • Coccidiosis / complications
  • Coccidiosis / parasitology
  • Coccidiosis / veterinary
  • Coinfection / parasitology
  • Coinfection / veterinary
  • Encephalomyelitis / parasitology
  • Encephalomyelitis / veterinary
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horses
  • Neospora
  • Pennsylvania
  • Sarcocystis
  • Sarcocystosis / complications
  • Sarcocystosis / parasitology
  • Sarcocystosis / veterinary
  • Toxoplasma
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / complications
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / parasitology
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / pathology

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. 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.
    doi: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2019.e00037pubmed: 32095611google scholar: lookup
  2. Schai-Braun SC, Posautz A, Alves PC, Hackländer K. Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis): Are abiotic environmental factors such as elevation, temperature and precipitation affecting prevalence of parasite species?. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2019 Aug;9:202-208.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.009pubmed: 31193935google scholar: lookup
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