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Home / Equine Research Bank / Parasitol Res / Serological survey for antibody to Encephalitozoon cuniculi ...
Parasitology research2014; 113(7); 2757-2759; doi: 10.1007/s00436-014-3930-9

Serological survey for antibody to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in horses in the USA.

Abstract: Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an obligate intracellular microsporidian parasite that can result in clinical and subclinical infection in many species. In the present study, a serological survey was conducted using samples from 105 horses in the state of New Jersey; 49 of the samples were obtained from clinically abnormal animals. Five or 4.8% of 105 serum samples were found to demonstrate reactivity by ELISA with titers of 1:64 to 1:1,024. One of the samples was obtained from a clinically normal horse. Clinical signs and diagnoses from the other animals included lameness, colic, osteochondritis dissecans, and fever. All clinical issues were resolved with hospitalization and treatment without the institution of E. cuniculi-focused therapy. This is the first report on the detection of E. cuniculi antibodies in horses in the USA.
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Publication Date: 2014-05-07 PubMed ID: 24802871DOI: 10.1007/s00436-014-3930-9Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 research investigates the prevalence of antibodies for the parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi in a sample of horses in New Jersey, USA, finding that a small percentage of tested horses carried the antibodies despite not showing clinical signs of infection.

Introduction

  • In this study, researchers undertook a survey to determine the presence of antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi, an obligate intracellular microsporidian parasite, in horses.
  • The parasite has been known to cause both clinical and subclinical infection in a wide variety of species.

Methodology

  • Serological surveys, a method used to identify and measure the levels of specific antibodies in the blood were used for this study.
  • The team collected samples from 105 horses located in New Jersey, USA. Among these horses, 49 of the samples were obtained from horses displaying clinical abnormalities.

Results

  • Using the ELISA method (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay), researchers determined that 5 or 4.8% of the 105 serum samples exhibited reactivity to the parasite, demonstrated by antibody titers ranging from 1:64 to 1:1,024.
  • Interestingly, one of the reactive samples was obtained from a horse that displayed no clinical signs of infection.
  • The clinical signs and diagnoses in the other infected animals ranged from issues such as lameness, colic, osteochondritis dissecans, and fever.

Treatment and Conclusion

  • All clinical issues in the infected horses resolved after treatment in the hospital, even without specific therapies targeting E.cuniculi.
  • This study represents the first report of E. cuniculi antibodies detected in horses in the USA, thus expanding our understanding of the geographic spread and host range of this parasite.

Cite This Article

APA
Cray C, Perritt E, Hughes C, Belgrave RL. (2014). Serological survey for antibody to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in horses in the USA. Parasitol Res, 113(7), 2757-2759. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-3930-9

Publication

Parasitology research
ISSN: 1432-1955
NlmUniqueID: 8703571
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 113
Issue: 7
Pages: 2757-2759

Researcher Affiliations

Cray, Carolyn
  • Division of Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, P.O. Box 016960 R-46, Miami, FL, 33101, USA, c.cray@miami.edu.
Perritt, Emily
    Hughes, Cynthia
      Belgrave, Rodney L

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
        • Encephalitozoon cuniculi / immunology
        • Encephalitozoon cuniculi / isolation & purification
        • Encephalitozoonosis / epidemiology
        • Encephalitozoonosis / immunology
        • Encephalitozoonosis / parasitology
        • Encephalitozoonosis / veterinary
        • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
        • Female
        • Horse Diseases
        • Horses
        • United States / epidemiology

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        Citations

        This article has been cited 4 times.
        1. Magalhães TR, Pinto FF, Queiroga FL. A multidisciplinary review about Encephalitozoon cuniculi in a One Health perspective. Parasitol Res 2022 Sep;121(9):2463-2479.
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          doi: 10.3390/ijerph18179333pubmed: 34501921google scholar: lookup
        4. Pan Y, Wang S, Liu X, Li R, Sun Y, Gadahi JA. Seroprevalence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in Humans and Rabbits in China. Iran J Parasitol 2015 Apr-Jun;10(2):290-5.
          pubmed: 26246829
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