Serologic prevalence of Sarcocystis neurona, Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum in horses in Brazil.
Abstract: To determine serologic prevalence of Sarcocystis neurona, Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum in horses in Brazil. Methods: Prevalence survey. Methods: 101 Thoroughbreds in Brazil. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from horses and tested for serum antibodies against S neurona by use of an immunoblot procedure with culture-derived S neurona merozoites as antigen, and for serum antibodies against T gondii and N caninum by use of a modified agglutination test with formalin-preserved tachyzoites and mercaptoethanol. Results: Antibodies against S neurona and T gondii were detected in 36 and 16 of 101 horses, respectively. Cross-reactivity between antibodies against T gondii and S neurona was not detected. Antibodies against N caninum were not detected in any samples. Conclusions: The high prevalence of antibodies against S neurona detected in clinically normal horses emphasizes the importance of examining CSF for antibodies when establishing a diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis.
Publication Date: 1999-10-08 PubMed ID: 10511862
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article is primarily focused on the study of the prevalence of the antibodies against the parasites Sarcocystis neurona, Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum in horses in Brazil.
Methods Employed
- The research was conducted using a sample set of 101 Thoroughbreds from Brazil.
- Blood samples were taken from these horses and then tested for the presence of serum antibodies against the parasites Sarcocystis neurona, Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum.
- For testing antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, an immunoblot procedure was utilized along with culture-derived Sarcocystis neurona merozoites as antigen.
- For testing antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum, a modified agglutination test was utilized in which formalin-preserved tachyzoites and mercaptoethanol were used.
Results Obtained
- Out of the 101 hourse, antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii were found in 36 and 16 horses respectively.
- There was no detected cross-reactivity between antibodies for Sarcocystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii.
- Interestingly, no antibodies against Neospora caninum were found in any of the samples tested.
Conclusions Derived
- The high prevalence of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona found in clinically normal horses highlighted the significance of testing the Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for these antibodies when diagnosing equine protozoal myeloencephalitis.
- The absence of antibodies for Neospora caninum offers new insights about this parasite’s presence in the horse population in Brazil and it might suggest that horses are not a common host for this parasite in this region.
Cite This Article
APA
Dubey JP, Kerber CE, Granstrom DE.
(1999).
Serologic prevalence of Sarcocystis neurona, Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum in horses in Brazil.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 215(7), 970-972.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Parasite Biology and Epidemiology Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, MD 20705-2350, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
- Brazil / epidemiology
- Coccidiosis / epidemiology
- Coccidiosis / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses
- Male
- Neospora / immunology
- Sarcocystis / immunology
- Sarcocystosis / epidemiology
- Sarcocystosis / veterinary
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- Toxoplasma / immunology
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Zhou M, Cao S, Sevinc F, Sevinc M, Ceylan O, Liu M, Wang G, Moumouni PF, Jirapattharasate C, Suzuki H, Nishikawa Y, Xuan X. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using recombinant TgSAG2 and NcSAG1 to detect Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum-specific antibodies in domestic animals in Turkey.. J Vet Med Sci 2017 Jan 10;78(12):1877-1881.
- Reed SM, Furr M, Howe DK, Johnson AL, MacKay RJ, Morrow JK, Pusterla N, Witonsky S. Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis: An Updated Consensus Statement with a Focus on Parasite Biology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Mar-Apr;30(2):491-502.
- Dubey JP, Howe DK, Furr M, Saville WJ, Marsh AE, Reed SM, Grigg ME. An update on Sarcocystis neurona infections in animals and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM).. Vet Parasitol 2015 Apr 15;209(1-2):1-42.
- Yeargan MR, Alvarado-Esquivel C, Dubey JP, Howe DK. Prevalence of antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi in horses from Mexico.. Parasite 2013;20:29.
- Boughattas S, Bergaoui R, Essid R, Aoun K, Bouratbine A. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among horses in Tunisia.. Parasit Vectors 2011 Nov 22;4:218.
- Roqueplo C, Halos L, Cabre O, Davoust B. Toxoplasma gondii in wild and domestic animals from New Caledonia.. Parasite 2011 Nov;18(4):345-8.
- Bártová E, Sedlák K, Syrová M, Literák I. Neospora spp. and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in horses in the Czech Republic.. Parasitol Res 2010 Sep;107(4):783-5.
- Dubey JP, Schares G, Ortega-Mora LM. Epidemiology and control of neosporosis and Neospora caninum.. Clin Microbiol Rev 2007 Apr;20(2):323-67.
- Dubey JP. Review of Neospora caninum and neosporosis in animals.. Korean J Parasitol 2003 Mar;41(1):1-16.
- Tenter AM, Heckeroth AR, Weiss LM. Toxoplasma gondii: from animals to humans.. Int J Parasitol 2000 Nov;30(12-13):1217-58.
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