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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anapla...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(12); doi: 10.3390/ani13121984

Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum Infections in German Horses.

Abstract: There are limited data on Lyme borreliosis (LB), a tick-borne disease caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, in horses. Seropositivity is not necessarily associated with clinical disease. Data on seropositivity against Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in German horses are sparse. Therefore, serum samples from horses (n = 123) suspected of having Lyme borreliosis and clinically healthy horses (n = 113) from the same stables were tested for specific antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The samples were screened for antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi (ELISA and an IgG line immunoblot assay). Furthermore, the samples were examined for antibodies against B. burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum with a validated rapid in-house test (SNAP® 4Dx Plus® ELISA). The clinical signs of suspect horses included lameness (n = 36), poor performance (n = 19), and apathy (n = 12). Twenty-three percent (n = 26) of suspect horses and 17% (n = 18) of clinically healthy horses were seropositive for having a Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection (p = 0.371), showing that the detection of specific antibodies against B. burgdorferi alone is not sufficient for a diagnosis of equine LB. Anaplasma phagocytophilum seropositivity and seropositivity against both pathogens was 20%/6% in suspect horses and 16%/2% in the clinically healthy population, showing only minor differences (p = 0.108). Unspecific testing for antibodies against B. burgdorferi without clinical suspicion of Lyme borreliosis is not recommended since the clinical relevance of seropositivity against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato remains to be elucidated.
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Publication Date: 2023-06-14 PubMed ID: 37370494PubMed Central: PMC10295046DOI: 10.3390/ani13121984Google 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 study assesses the prevalence of Lyme borreliosis (LB) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum infections in German horses indicating that the presence of antibodies specific to these infections doesn’t guarantee a diagnosis of LB. The research reveals a minor difference in seropositivity between suspected and clinically healthy horses, advising against nonspecific tests for LB antibodies without clinical suspicion.

Overview of Methodology and Findings

  • The study used blood samples from 123 horses suspected of having Lyme borreliosis (LB) and 113 from those clinically healthy but living in the same stables.
  • These samples were subjected to two tests: an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and an immunoglobulin G (IgG) line immunoblot assay. These are standard diagnostic tests used to identify specific antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato—the bacteria complex that causes LB—and Anaplasma phagocytophilum—another tick-borne bacteria that can infect horses.
  • In addition to these, a validated rapid in-house test (SNAP 4Dx Plus ELISA) was also used. This test is particularly useful for identifying antibodies against both mentioned pathogens.
  • Among the horses suspected of having LB, the most common symptoms were lameness, poor performance, and apathy.
  • Interestingly, the research found that 23% of the suspect horses and 17% of the clinically healthy horses tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection. This presented a conclusion that the presence of specific antibodies alone is not sufficient to diagnose LB in horses.
  • A similar insignificant difference was observed when testing for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, with the seropositivity in suspect horses being 20% and in healthy horses being 16%.

Implications of the Findings

  • The study suggests that testing for antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato without clear clinical suspicion of LB is not recommended. This is due to the detected seropositivity even in clinically healthy horses.
  • This implies that the clinical significance or consequences of seropositivity against this pathogen in horses is not definitively understood and remains to be clarified.
  • The minor difference in seropositivity rates between suspect and healthy horses is another crucial point that needs further investigation. This result could either point to a high exposure rate in all horses or reflect the unspecific clinical presentation and failure to correctly identify affected horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Gehlen H, Inerle K, Bartel A, Stöckle SD, Ulrich S, Briese B, Straubinger RK. (2023). Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum Infections in German Horses. Animals (Basel), 13(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13121984

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 12

Researcher Affiliations

Gehlen, Heidrun
  • Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Inerle, Katharina
  • Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Bartel, Alexander
  • Institute for Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Stöckle, Sabita Diana
  • Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Ulrich, Sebastian
  • Chair of Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
Briese, Beatrice
  • Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Straubinger, Reinhard K
  • Chair of Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
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