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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Parasitol / Serological and molecular detection of Theileria equi infect...
Veterinary parasitology2012; 192(1-3); 143-148; doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.09.035

Serological and molecular detection of Theileria equi infection in horses in Hungary.

Abstract: The prevalence of Theileria equi infection was studied in 324 healthy horses from 27 farms in Hungary with cELISA and IFAT and the blood samples of 101 horses selected randomly were also examined by PCR. The results indicate that there are many stud farms where one or more horses are infected with T. equi. Among 27 farms 17 (67.9%) were found to have seropositive horses. The seroprevalence of theileriosis among the tested stud farms ranged between 0 and 100%. No marked differences were found in seropositivity between geographical areas. The overall prevalence of positive samples was 32.0% with cELISA as well as with IFAT. The results obtained with cELISA and IFAT in this study had the strongest agreement, except for 9 samples in which the two serological tests gave different results. The prevalence of infection among 101 horses was 49% with PCR. All 14 sequenced samples were found by BLAST analysis to be closest to the T. equi 18S rRNA gene sequences in GenBank with a similarity of ≥ 99%. No significant association was found between the seropositivity and the age of horses. Horses below 5 years of age had three times higher chance to be PCR-positive, than older ones. There was no significant association between the gender and the results of diagnostic tests (cELISA: p=0.40; IFAT: p=0.25; PCR: p=0.41). Based on the findings, the prevalence of equine theileriosis is much higher than expected and it occurs in many regions of the country unlike equine babesiosis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the serological and molecular survey of T. equi infection in horses in Hungary.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2012-10-04 PubMed ID: 23099089DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.09.035Google 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.

This research highlights the high prevalence of Theileria equi infection among horses in Hungary, discovered through cELISA, IFAT, and PCR tests conducted on blood samples.

Study Overview and Methods

  • In the study, researchers set out to examine the occurrence of Theileria equi infection in horses in Hungary. Theileria equi is a blood parasite that causes theileriosis in horses – a debilitating disease that can produce severe symptoms such as fever, anemia, jaundice, and even sudden death.
  • In order to determine the prevalence of this parasite, the researchers collected and examined the blood samples of 324 healthy horses from 27 different farms across Hungary.
  • For detection of T. equi infection, two types of serological tests – the cELISA (competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and IFAT (indirect fluorescence antibody test) – were used. Moreover, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing was used on 101 blood samples which were selected randomly.

Results of the Study

  • The results of this testing recognized a prevalence of 32.0% positive samples using both the cELISA and IFAT methods. However, PCR tests revealed a higher positivity rate of 49% amongst the 101 randomly selected samples.
  • The identified infection was confirmed to be T. equi by examining the 18S rRNA gene sequences, which showed a sequencing similarity of 99% or higher when compared to the T. equi sequences in the GenBank database.
  • It was discovered that there was no significant connection between the age or gender of the horses and seropositivity for T. equi, although horses younger than 5 years showed a three times higher likelihood of having a positive PCR result.
  • The rate of infection varied among the 27 stud farms investigated, with 17 showing evidence of seropositive horses, and levels of infection ranging from 0-100%. The prevalence of theileriosis therefore appears to be high across many regions of Hungary, and this high prevalence occurs irrespective of the geographical location of the stud farms.

Significance of the Research

  • The conclusions from this research establish a higher-than-anticipated prevalence of equine theileriosis in Hungary, suggesting that T. equi is a significant pathogen for horses in this region.
  • This study, which is reportedly the first serological and molecular survey of T. equi infection in Hungarian equines, highlights the necessity for greater attention to be placed on the monitoring and control of this disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Farkas R, Tánczos B, Gyurkovszky M, Földvári G, Solymosi N, Edelhofer R, Hornok S. (2012). Serological and molecular detection of Theileria equi infection in horses in Hungary. Vet Parasitol, 192(1-3), 143-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.09.035

Publication

Veterinary parasitology
ISSN: 1873-2550
NlmUniqueID: 7602745
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 192
Issue: 1-3
Pages: 143-148
PII: S0304-4017(12)00531-6

Researcher Affiliations

Farkas, R
  • Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, H-1078, Budapest, István u. 2, Hungary. Farkas.Robert@aotk.szie.hu
Tánczos, B
    Gyurkovszky, M
      Földvári, G
        Solymosi, N
          Edelhofer, R
            Hornok, S

              MeSH Terms

              • Animals
              • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
              • DNA, Protozoan / analysis
              • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
              • Female
              • Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / veterinary
              • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
              • Horse Diseases / parasitology
              • Horses
              • Hungary / epidemiology
              • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
              • Sequence Analysis, DNA / veterinary
              • Seroepidemiologic Studies
              • Theileria / genetics
              • Theileria / immunology
              • Theileria / isolation & purification
              • Theileriasis / epidemiology
              • Theileriasis / parasitology

              Citations

              This article has been cited 12 times.
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                doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12040816pubmed: 38674760google scholar: lookup
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