Seroprevalence of equine glanders in horses in the central and eastern parts of Mongolia.
Abstract: Glanders is a contagious and fatal equine disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia mallei. B. mallei is prevalent among horse populations in Asia, the Middle East, and South America. More than four million horses have been registered in Mongolia in 2020. However, the recent prevalence of glanders has not been well investigated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the seropositivity of B. mallei in horse populations in Mongolia using the complement fixation test (CFT) and Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBT). We randomly collected blood samples from horses in central and eastern Mongolia between 2018 and 2019. Of 337 horses, 26 (7.7%) and 28 (8.3%) were seropositive using RBT and CFT, respectively. Interestingly, seropositivity in horses resulting from crossbreeding of Mongolian native horses with thoroughbred horses was higher than that in Mongolian native horses. Our observations suggest that equine glanders are still endemic to Mongolia.
Publication Date: 2020-07-07 PubMed ID: 32641602PubMed Central: PMC7538334DOI: 10.1292/jvms.20-0219Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the fatal equine disease, glanders, in the horse population of Mongolia. The researchers found that a substantial portion of tested horses were positive for the disease, suggesting that it continues to be a problem in this region.
Objective of the Study
- The primary goal of this research was to examine the prevalence of the bacterial infection glanders, caused by Burkholderia mallei, in horses in Mongolia.
- This objective was driven by the lack of recent investigation about the state of glanders in the considerable horse population of Mongolia.
Methodology
- To carry out this study, researchers used both the complement fixation test (CFT) and Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBT), traditional diagnostic methods for glanders.
- Blood samples for these tests were randomly collected from horses in central and eastern Mongolia between 2018 and 2019.
Results and Findings
- Out of 337 horses tested, 26 (7.7%) were seropositive for B. mallei using RBT, and 28 (8.3%) were seropositive using CFT.
- Interestingly, horses that were crossbred between Mongolian native horses and thoroughbred horses displayed higher seropositivity compared to pure Mongolian native horses.
Conclusion
- The overall observations from the study suggest glanders remains endemic to Mongolia. This implies that further action and investigations are necessary to control this fatal disease in horses in this region.
Cite This Article
APA
Erdemsurakh O, Ochirbat K, Gombosuren U, Tserendorj B, Purevdorj B, Vanaabaatar B, Aoshima K, Kobayashi A, Kimura T.
(2020).
Seroprevalence of equine glanders in horses in the central and eastern parts of Mongolia.
J Vet Med Sci, 82(9), 1247-1252.
https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.20-0219 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
- Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Khan-Uul district, Zaisan 17042, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Khan-Uul district, Zaisan 17042, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Khan-Uul district, Zaisan 17042, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Khan-Uul district, Zaisan 17042, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- Laboratory of Pathology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolia University of Life Sciences, Khan-Uul district, Zaisan 17042, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Khan-Uul district, Zaisan 17042, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
- Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
- Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Asia
- Burkholderia mallei
- Glanders
- Horses
- Mongolia / epidemiology
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
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