Serologic confirmation of Ehrlichia equi and Borrelia burgdorferi infections in horses from the northeastern United States.
Abstract: To determine whether horses living in tick-infested areas of northeastern United States with clinical signs of borreliosis or granulocytic ehrlichiosis had detectable serum antibodies to both Borrelia burgdorferi and Ehrlichia equi. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Serum samples from 51 clinically normal horses, 14 horses with clinical signs of borreliosis, and 17 horses with clinical signs of granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Methods: Serum B burgdorferi or E equi antibodies were measured by use of an ELISA, immunoblot analysis, or indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) staining. Results: Of the 82 serum samples tested, 37 (45.1%) and 13 (15.9%) had detectable antibodies to B burgdorferi or E equi, respectively. Test results indicated that 12 horses had been exposed to both agents, 11 of these horses had granulocytic ehrlichiosis. The ELISA regularly detected antibodies to the following recombinant protein (p) antigens of B burgdorferi: p29, p37, p39, and p41-G. The use of immunoblot analysis confirmed ELISA results by indicating antibody reactivities to antigens of whole-cell B burgdorferi having molecular masses of predominantly 31, 34, 37, 39, 41, 58, and 93 kd. Conclusions: Horses living in areas where ticks (Ixodes scapularis) abound are sometimes exposed to multiple pathogens. Analyses for specific recombinant borrelial antibodies using an ELISA can help separate horses with borreliosis from those with granulocytic ehrlichiosis, even when antibodies to both etiologic agents are detected in serum samples. Analysis using immunoblots is sensitive, and along with ELISA or IFA procedures, is suitable for confirming a clinical diagnosis of each disease.
Publication Date: 2000-10-06 PubMed ID: 11019714DOI: 10.2460/javma.2000.217.1045Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
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The research article is a study conducted to identify if horses that inhabit tick-infested regions in northeastern United States and have signs of borreliosis or granulocytic ehrlichiosis carry detectable antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and Ehrlichia equi.
Methodology
- The study is prospective by nature and involves testing serum samples from horses.
- A total of 82 serum samples were collected from three different groups of horses. This included 51 clinically normal horses, 14 horses with clinical signs of borreliosis, and 17 horses with clinical signs of granulocytic ehrlichiosis.
- The antibodies for two infectious agents—Borrelia burgdorferi (that causes borreliosis) and Ehrlichia equi (that causes granulocytic ehrlichiosis)—were measured in the samples via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblot analysis, or indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) staining.
Findings
- Out of the 82 serum samples tested, 37 (45.1%) had detectable antibodies to B burgdorferi and 13 (15.9%) to E equi.
- The test results showed that 12 horses had been exposed to both pathogens; out of these, 11 horses were suffering from granulocytic ehrlichiosis.
- The ELISA was frequently capable of detecting antibodies to specific recombinant protein (p) antigens of B burgdorferi: p29, p37, p39, and p41-G.
- Immunoblot analysis was used to confirm ELISA results by indicating antibody reactivities to antigens of whole-cell B burgdorferi with molecular masses mainly of 31, 34, 37, 39, 41, 58, and 93 kilodaltons (kd).
Conclusions
- The researchers found that horses living in areas where ticks (Ixodes scapularis) are common are often exposed to multiple pathogens.
- Analysis for specific recombinant borrelial antibodies with ELISA can assist in distinguishing horses suffering from borreliosis from those with granulocytic ehrlichiosis, even when antibodies to both causative agents are detected in the serum samples.
- The scientists also affirmed that analysis using immunoblots is sensitive and, in conjunction with ELISA or IFA procedures, suitable for endorsing a clinical diagnosis of each disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Magnarelli LA, Ijdo JW, Van Andel AE, Wu C, Padula SJ, Fikrig E.
(2000).
Serologic confirmation of Ehrlichia equi and Borrelia burgdorferi infections in horses from the northeastern United States.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 217(7), 1045-1050.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2000.217.1045 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Entomology, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven 06504, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial / analysis
- Borrelia burgdorferi Group / isolation & purification
- Ehrlichia / isolation & purification
- Ehrlichiosis / epidemiology
- Ehrlichiosis / veterinary
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses
- Lyme Disease / epidemiology
- Lyme Disease / veterinary
- Prospective Studies
- Tick Infestations / veterinary
- United States / epidemiology
Grant Funding
- HR8/CCH113382-01 / NHLBI NIH HHS
- U50/CCU111188-01 / PHS HHS
Citations
This article has been cited 16 times.- Guarino C, Pinn-Woodcock T, Levine DG, Miller J, Johnson AL. Case Report: Nuchal Bursitis Associated With Borrelia burgdorferi Infection in a Horse.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:743067.
- Sundstrom KD, Lineberry MW, Grant AN, Duncan KT, Ientile MM, Little SE. Equine attachment site preferences and seasonality of common North American ticks: Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor albipictus, and Ixodes scapularis.. Parasit Vectors 2021 Aug 14;14(1):404.
- Neely M, Arroyo L, Jardine C, Clow K, Moore A, Hazlett M, Weese JS. Evaluation of 2 ELISAs to determine Borrelia burgdorferi seropositivity in horses over a 12-month period.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021 Jul;33(4):736-739.
- Mittelman NS, Stefanovski D, Johnson AL. Utility of C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A in the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Sep;32(5):1726-1730.
- Sprong H, Azagi T, Hoornstra D, Nijhof AM, Knorr S, Baarsma ME, Hovius JW. Control of Lyme borreliosis and other Ixodes ricinus-borne diseases.. Parasit Vectors 2018 Mar 6;11(1):145.
- Divers TJ, Gardner RB, Madigan JE, Witonsky SG, Bertone JJ, Swinebroad EL, Schutzer SE, Johnson AL. Borrelia burgdorferi Infection and Lyme Disease in North American Horses: A Consensus Statement.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Mar;32(2):617-632.
- Johnson AL, Johnstone LK, Stefanovski D. Cerebrospinal fluid Lyme multiplex assay results are not diagnostic in horses with neuroborreliosis.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Mar;32(2):832-838.
- Caol S, Divers T, Crisman M, Chang YF. In vitro susceptibility of Borrelia burgdorferi isolates to three antibiotics commonly used for treating equine Lyme disease.. BMC Vet Res 2017 Sep 29;13(1):293.
- Johnstone LK, Engiles JB, Aceto H, Buechner-Maxwell V, Divers T, Gardner R, Levine R, Scherrer N, Tewari D, Tomlinson J, Johnson AL. Retrospective Evaluation of Horses Diagnosed with Neuroborreliosis on Postmortem Examination: 16 Cases (2004-2015).. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1305-12.
- Funk RA, Pleasant RS, Witonsky SG, Reeder DS, Werre SR, Hodgson DR. Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Horses Presented for Coggins Testing in Southwest Virginia and Change in Positive Test Results Approximately 1 Year Later.. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1300-4.
- Hodzic E. Lyme Borreliosis: Is there a preexisting (natural) variation in antimicrobial susceptibility among Borrelia burgdorferi strains?. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2015 Jul 8;15(3):1-13.
- Schvartz G, Epp T, Burgess HJ, Chilton NB, Pearl DL, Lohmann KL. Seroprevalence of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis and lyme borreliosis in Canada as determined by a point-of-care enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).. Can Vet J 2015 Jun;56(6):575-80.
- Kean IR, Irvine KL. Lyme disease: aetiopathogenesis, factors for disease development and control.. Inflammopharmacology 2013 Apr;21(2):101-11.
- Magnarelli LA, Bushmich SL, Anderson JF, Ledizet M, Koski RA. Serum antibodies to West Nile virus in naturally exposed and vaccinated horses.. J Med Microbiol 2008 Sep;57(Pt 9):1087-1093.
- Ramamoorthy R, McClain NA, Gautam A, Scholl-Meeker D. Expression of the bmpB gene of Borrelia burgdorferi is modulated by two distinct transcription termination events.. J Bacteriol 2005 Apr;187(8):2592-600.
- Magnarelli LA, Bushmich SL, Sherman BA, Fikrig E. A comparison of serologic tests for the detection of serum antibodies to whole-cell and recombinant Borrelia burgdorferi antigens in cattle.. Can Vet J 2004 Aug;45(8):667-73.
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