Serosurvey for equine piroplasms in horses and donkeys from North-Western Nigeria using IFAT and ELISA.
Abstract: Equine piroplasmosis is caused by apicomplexan parasites, namely, and , which are transmitted to equids principally through ticks. To ascertain the exposure of equines to agents of equine piroplasms, we tested serum samples collected from horses (n = 272) and donkeys (n = 170) in North-Western Nigeria for the presence of antibodies against and using IFAT and ELISA. The seroprevalence of in the horses determined using IFAT and ELISA was 48.89% and 45.96%, respectively, while for , it was 6.3% and 0.4%, respectively. For , the seroprevalence based on IFAT and ELISA results in donkeys was 14.1% and 2.9%, respectively, while for , the seroprevalence was 2.4% and 0.6%, respectively, for ELISA and IFAT. Mixed infection detected in the horses using IFAT and ELISA was 5.5% and 0.4%, respectively, while no mixed infection was observed in the donkeys. The seroprevalence of was significantly ( < .0001) higher than that of in both horses and donkeys. Comparatively, the IFAT detected a greater number of piroplasm seropositive animals than ELISA, indicating a difference in their diagnostic accuracy. Findings from this study confirm the existence of equine piroplasms in both horses and donkeys in North-Western Nigeria and highlights the need for robust and effective control measures against the disease.
Publication Date: 2021-06-07 PubMed ID: 34097577DOI: 10.1080/15321819.2021.1935274Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Antibodies
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Prevalence
- Disease Surveillance
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Immunofluorescence Assay
- Infection
- Infectious Disease
- Parasites
- Piroplasmosis
- Serological Surveys
- Seroprevalence
- Theileria equi
- Tick-Borne Diseases
- Veterinary Medicine
Summary
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This research paper investigates the incidence of equine piroplasms, a parasitic infection affecting horses and donkeys, in North-Western Nigeria. The findings suggest a significant prevalence of the parasite, calling for more effective control measures.
Introduction to Equine Piroplasmosis
- Equine piroplasmosis is a disease primarily affecting horses and donkeys, caused by apicomplexan parasites, namely, Theileria equi and Babesia caballi.
- Transmitted chiefly through ticks, the disease poses a significant risk to equine health.
Research Methodology
- In this study, serum samples were collected from 272 horses and 170 donkeys based in North-Western Nigeria.
- The samples were analyzed for antibodies against Theileria equi and Babesia caballi using Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).
- The goal was to determine the exposure level of horses and donkeys to these parasites.
Findings
- The seroprevalence (the level of a pathogen in a population, as measured in blood serum) of Theileria equi in horses was 48.89% and 45.96% using IFAT and ELISA, respectively. For Babesia caballi, it was 6.3% and 0.4% respectively.
- The seroprevalence for Theileria equi in donkeys was 14.1% and 2.9% using IFAT and ELISA, and for Babesia caballi, it was 2.4% and 0.6% respectively.
- Mixed infection was detected in 5.5% of horses through IFAT and in 0.4% through ELISA. However, no mixed infections were detected in donkeys.
- Clearly, the prevalence of Theileria equi was significantly higher than Babesia caballi in both horses and donkeys.
A Method Comparison
- The IFAT method detected a larger number of animals with piroplasm compared to ELISA, indicating differences in the diagnostic accuracy of the two methods.
Conclusions and Recommendations
- The findings from this study confirm an existing problem with equine piroplasms in the horses and donkeys of North-Western Nigeria.
- The high seroprevalence rate underscores the necessity to develop robust and efficient control measures against the disease. It is crucial to protect equine health and control parasite transmission.
Cite This Article
APA
Onyiche TE, Sivakumar T, Tuvshintulga B, Nugraha AB, Ahedor B, Mofokeng L, Luka J, Mohammed A, Mbaya AW, Biu AA, Yokoyama N, Thekisoe O.
(2021).
Serosurvey for equine piroplasms in horses and donkeys from North-Western Nigeria using IFAT and ELISA.
J Immunoassay Immunochem, 42(6), 648-661.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15321819.2021.1935274 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, IPB University, Indonesia.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
- Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Babesiosis / diagnosis
- Babesiosis / epidemiology
- Cattle
- Coinfection
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
- Equidae
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses
- Nigeria / epidemiology
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- Theileriasis / diagnosis
- Theileriasis / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Giubega S, Ilie MS, Luca I, Florea T, Dreghiciu C, Oprescu I, Morariu S, Dărăbuș G. Seroprevalence of Anti-Theileria equi Antibodies in Horses from Three Geographically Distinct Areas of Romania. Pathogens 2022 Jun 9;11(6).
- Onyiche TE, Igwenagu E, Malgwi SA, Omeh IJ, Biu AA, Thekisoe O. Hematology and biochemical values in equines naturally infected with Theileria equi in Nigeria. Trop Anim Health Prod 2022 Feb 14;54(2):103.
- Wang T, Chen X, Yan X, Su Y, Gao W, Liu C, Wang W. Progress in serology and molecular biology of equine parasite diagnosis: sustainable control strategies. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1663577.
- Cui Y, Cao M, Yu F, Zhao A, Tao D, Zhu T, Zhang Z, Qi M. Molecular detection of piroplasms in domestic donkeys in Xinjiang, China. Vet Med Sci 2024 Jul;10(4):e1468.
- Diarra AZ, Kelly P, Davoust B, Parola P. Tick-Borne Diseases of Humans and Animals in West Africa. Pathogens 2023 Oct 24;12(11).
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