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BMC veterinary research2024; 20(1); 103; doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-03955-7

Serological investigation and isolation of Salmonella abortus equi in horses in Xinjiang.

Abstract: Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar abortus equi (S. abortus equi) is one of the main pathogens that causes abortion in pregnant horses and donkeys, which was highly infectious and greatly restricts the healthy development of the horse industry. Objective: In order to investigate the prevalence and biological characteristics of S. abortus equi in different regions and breeds of horses in Xinjiang. Methods: This study conducted ELISA detection of S. abortus equi antibodies on serum samples of 971 horses collected from three large-scale horse farms and five free-range horse farms in Yili Prefecture and Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang from 2020 to 2023. On this basis, bacterial isolation, culture, identification, and drug sensitivity tests were conducted on 42 samples of aborted foal tissues and 23 mare vaginal swabs. Results: The results showed that the positive rate of S. abortus equi antibody was as high as 20.91% in 971 horse serum samples. Among them, the positive rate in the Ili region (29.09%) was significantly higher than that in the Bayingole region (11.24%), and the positive rate in mares (22.45%) was higher than that in stallions (14.05%). In terms of horse breeds, the positive rates of self-propagating thoroughbred horses, half-bred horses, Ili horses and Yanqi horses were 43.22%, 28.81%, 14.72% and 11.24% respectively. In addition, S. abortus equi was more susceptible to juvenile and elderly horses, with positive rates of 70.00%and 41.86%, respectively, both of which were significantly higher than young (10.97%) and adult (19.79%) horses. Further, 9 strains of S. abortus equi were obtained through bacterial isolation, culture and identification, which were resistant to five antibiotics (Clarithromycin, Clindamycin, penicillin, Sulfamethoxazole and Rifampicin), and sensitive to 13 antimicrobial agents (Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin and Gentamicin, et al.). Conclusions: There was a high infection rate of S. abortus equi in Ili Prefecture and self-propagating thoroughbred horses, and juvenile or old mares were more susceptible, which will provide scientific basis for the prevention of S. abortus equi infection in different regions and breeds of horses in Xinjiang.
© 2024. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2024-03-15 PubMed ID: 38491518PubMed Central: PMC10941388DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-03955-7Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

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Overview

  • This study investigated the prevalence and biological characteristics of Salmonella abortus equi, a pathogen causing abortion in horses, across various regions and breeds in Xinjiang, China.
  • The research involved serological testing, bacterial isolation, and antibiotic susceptibility analysis to better understand infection patterns and inform prevention strategies.

Background

  • Pathogen: Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar abortus equi (S. abortus equi) is a major cause of abortion in pregnant horses and donkeys, posing significant risks to equine health and the horse industry.
  • Geographic focus: The study was conducted in Xinjiang, specifically in Yili Prefecture (Ili) and Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture (Bayingole).
  • Significance: Understanding the distribution and characteristics of S. abortus equi infection is essential for disease control and improving equine reproductive health in the region.

Study Objectives

  • Investigate the prevalence of S. abortus equi infection in horses across different regions (Ili and Bayingole) within Xinjiang.
  • Assess differences in infection rates among various horse breeds.
  • Determine the susceptibility related to age and sex of horses.
  • Isolate and culture S. abortus equi strains from clinical samples and analyze their drug resistance profiles.

Methods

  • Sampling: Serum samples were collected from 971 horses from three large-scale and five free-range horse farms between 2020 and 2023.
  • Serological testing: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect antibodies against S. abortus equi indicating infection prevalence.
  • Bacterial isolation and identification: 42 aborted foal tissue samples and 23 vaginal swabs from mares were cultured to isolate the bacteria and confirm identity.
  • Drug sensitivity tests: Isolated strains were tested against various antibiotics to determine resistance or susceptibility.

Key Findings

  • Seroprevalence: Overall antibody-positive rate was 20.91% among 971 horses.
  • Regional differences:
    • Ili region had a significantly higher positive rate (29.09%) compared to Bayingole (11.24%).
  • Sex differences:
    • Mares showed higher positive rates (22.45%) than stallions (14.05%).
  • Breed-specific rates:
    • Self-propagating thoroughbred horses: 43.22% positive
    • Half-bred horses: 28.81% positive
    • Ili horses: 14.72% positive
    • Yanqi horses: 11.24% positive
  • Age susceptibility:
    • Juvenile horses showed the highest positive rate at 70.00%
    • Old horses had a 41.86% positive rate
    • Young horses and adults had significantly lower rates (10.97% and 19.79%, respectively)
  • Bacterial isolation:
    • 9 strains of S. abortus equi were successfully isolated and identified from clinical samples.
  • Antibiotic resistance:
    • Resistant to: Clarithromycin, Clindamycin, Penicillin, Sulfamethoxazole, Rifampicin.
    • Sensitive to: Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin, and 10 other antimicrobial agents.

Conclusions and Implications

  • High infection rates of S. abortus equi were found particularly in Ili Prefecture, suggesting a regional hotspot for this pathogen.
  • Self-propagating thoroughbred horses demonstrated notably higher susceptibility, indicating breed-related vulnerability.
  • Younger and older mares were more prone to infection, highlighting important age-related risk factors for disease management.
  • The antibiotic resistance profile helps guide effective treatment choices, avoiding drugs with high resistance.
  • Findings provide a scientific basis to design targeted prevention and control strategies for S. abortus equi infection tailored by region, breed, age, and sex in Xinjiang’s horse populations.

Cite This Article

APA
Mai Z, Fu H, Miao R, Lu C, Zhang X, Yuan Z, Ji P, Hua Y, Wang C, Ma Y, Deng H, Wei Y. (2024). Serological investigation and isolation of Salmonella abortus equi in horses in Xinjiang. BMC Vet Res, 20(1), 103. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-024-03955-7

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Pages: 103
PII: 103

Researcher Affiliations

Mai, Zhanhai
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China.
Fu, Han
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China.
Miao, Ronghao
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China.
Lu, Chong
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China.
Zhang, Xiaosong
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
Yuan, Ziwen
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
Ji, Peng
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
Hua, Yongli
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
Wang, Chen
  • Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station of Bazhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Korla, Korla, China.
Ma, Yuhui
  • Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine Development Center of Zhaosu County, Zhaosu, China.
Deng, Haifeng
  • Zhaosu Horse Farm, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Zhaosu, China.
Wei, Yanming
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China. weiym@gsau.edu.cn.

MeSH Terms

  • Pregnancy
  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Female
  • Male
  • Abortion, Veterinary / epidemiology
  • Equidae
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
  • Salmonella
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology

Grant Funding

  • 32002322 / National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • 32002322 / National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • 32002322 / National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • 32002322 / National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • 32002322 / National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • 32002322 / National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • 32002322 / National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • 32002322 / National Natural Science Foundation of China

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Gao W, Liu M, Nurdaly K, Caidan D, Sun Y, Duan J, Zhao J, Gong X, Zhou J, Zhang Y, Chen Q. Unveiling Equine Abortion Pathogens: A One Health Perspective on Prevalence and Resistance in Northwest China. Pathogens 2025 Dec 11;14(12).
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  2. Fu H, Li T, Wang Y, Yang Y, Lu Y, Li J, Liu J, Kuang L, Mai Z, Guo Q. Pathogenicity assessment and whole-genome sequencing of Salmonella abortus equi strain XJ2032 isolated from Xinjiang, China. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1698040.
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  3. Manikandan R, Rajagunalan S, Malmarugan S, Gupta C. First report on whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics of Salmonella enterica serovar Abortusequi isolated from Donkey in India. Sci Rep 2024 Oct 8;14(1):23455.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-73904-9pubmed: 39379477google scholar: lookup
  4. Li L, Li S, Ma H, Akhtar MF, Tan Y, Wang T, Liu W, Khan A, Khan MZ, Wang C. An Overview of Infectious and Non-Infectious Causes of Pregnancy Losses in Equine. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jul 2;14(13).
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