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Seroprevalence of Anti-Theileria equi Antibodies in Horses from Three Geographically Distinct Areas of Romania.
Abstract: Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an endemic tick-borne disease found in most countries around the world. It affects all species of Equidae, and it is caused by Theileria equi, Babesia caballi and T. haneyi. The research herein is the second study on the prevalence of piroplasms in Romania conducted in the past two decades. The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of anti-Theileria equi antibodies and the geographical distribution of this disease in the southwest, west, and northwest regions of Romania in order to obtain a more thorough understanding of the parasitological status of horses in this country. This study included 522 apparently healthy, mixed-breed horses from three different counties. The serum samples were analysed using the cELISA Theileria equi Antibody Test Kit. The overall seroprevalence rate was 12.84%. From the total number of positive horses, 13.96% were females and 11.21% were males. Based on the distribution of positive cases into age groups, the following values were obtained: 0−60 months: 16.26%, 60−180 months: 10.03%, and >180 months: 15.83%. There was no statistically significant difference between samples, based on age or gender. The positivity percentage in the localities included in the study ranged from 8.33 to 100%. In the population under study, the seroprevalence rate was high, indicating a possible exposure risk in this area of Romania, which could have severe effects on equids in the case of clinical manifestations of the disease. EP represents a serious threat for equine health in Romania; therefore, close and continuous monitoring of the situation is required.
Publication Date: 2022-06-09 PubMed ID: 35745523PubMed Central: PMC9229635DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11060669Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article examines the presence of antibodies to the tick-borne disease ‘Equine piroplasmosis’ in horses from three different regions in Romania. The study revealed a 12.84% rate of the disease, signifying a possible exposure risk in these areas.
Objective of Research
- The main aim of this research was to determine the seroprevalence of anti-Theileria equi antibodies in horses from the southwest, west, and northwest regions of Romania. The word ‘seroprevalence’ refers to the number of individuals in a population who test positive for a particular disease based on blood serum specimens.
Methodology
- 522 mixed-breed horses that seemed healthy were included in the study. They were from three different parts of Romania.
- The researchers extracted and analyzed serum samples from these horses using the cELISA Theileria equi Antibody Test Kit. cELISA (Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) is a type of test used to detect the presence of antibodies in blood samples.
Key Findings
- The overall seroprevalence rate was found to be 12.84% which is considered high. This means that out of the 522 horses, around 12.84% were found to have antibodies against Theileria equi.
- Out of the positive horses, 13.96% were females and 11.21% were males, indicating that the disease affects both genders.
- When it came to age groups, the researchers found that the seroprevalence rate was 16.26% for those aged 0−60 months, 10.03% for those aged 60−180 months, and 15.83% for those aged over 180 months. This indicates that the disease affects horses of all ages.
Conclusion and Implications
- No statistically significant difference was found between the samples based on age or gender. This suggests that the exposure risk is evenly distributed among horses of different ages and genders in these areas of Romania.
- The researchers concluded that Equine piroplasmosis represents a serious threat to the equine population in Romania, and as such, continuous monitoring is required to keep the situation under control.
Cite This Article
APA
(2022).
Seroprevalence of Anti-Theileria equi Antibodies in Horses from Three Geographically Distinct Areas of Romania.
Pathogens, 11(6), 669.
https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11060669 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
This article includes 55 references
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Duaso J, Perez-Ecija A, Navarro A, Martínez E, De Las Heras A, Mendoza FJ. True Prevalence and Seroprevalence of Piroplasmosis in Horses in Southwestern Europe. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 11;15(14).
- Rahotă DM, Țîrț DP, Daina LG, Daina CM, Ilea CDN. Using Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) to Compare Premature Mortality between Romanian Counties to Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in 2020 and 2021. Healthcare (Basel) 2024 Jun 13;12(12).
- Axt CW, Springer A, Strube C, Jung C, Naucke TJ, Müller E, Schäfer I. Molecular and Serological Detection of Vector-Borne Pathogens Responsible for Equine Piroplasmosis in Europe between 2008 and 2021. Microorganisms 2024 Apr 17;12(4).
- Zhou B, Yang G, Hu Z, Chen K, Guo W, Wang X, Du C. Development of a Real-Time Quantitative PCR Based on a TaqMan-MGB Probe for the Rapid Detection of Theileria haneyi. Microorganisms 2023 Oct 26;11(11).
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