Streptococcus equi subspecies equi in horses in Israel: seroprevalence and strain types.
Abstract: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the seroprevalence of Streptococcus equi in Israel, to monitor seropositive horses over time and to identify archived strains that were recovered from Israeli horses. A serological survey of 200 healthy horses on 20 farms throughout Israel was performed to detect recent exposure to S equi antigens A and C via indirect ELISA. Seroprevalence was 9.5 per cent (19/200) and positive horses were found in 30 per cent (6/20) of the farms. Sixteen horses that returned a positive serology result were retested three and six months later. Most (12/16) positive horses remained positive, which suggests the presence of animals with persistent infection. Molecular characterisation of S equi strains by sequencing of the SeM gene of 16 archived isolates of S equi that were recovered from clinical cases of strangles between 2008 and 2012 identified two strains: SeM-2 and SeM-28.
Publication Date: 2016-08-16 PubMed ID: 27651915PubMed Central: PMC5013422DOI: 10.1136/vetreco-2016-000187Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the prevalence of the bacteria, Streptococcus equi, in horses in Israel, and identifies the different strains of the bacteria present. The study finds that about 10% of sampled horses and 30% of farms showed signs of recent exposure to the bacteria, with potential ongoing infections in some horses.
Research Methodology
- The researchers performed a cross-sectional serological survey on 200 healthy horses from 20 Israeli farms. The purpose of this was to detect recent exposure to common antigens (foreign substances that induce an immune response) of Streptococcus equi, specifically antigens A and C.
- This serological screening was done using an indirect ELISA test, a common test that uses antibodies to detect the presence of an antigen.
- Out of the horses that tested positive for Streptococcus equi, 16 were randomly selected to be repeatedly tested after three and six months to monitor the persistence of the infection.
- The study also included molecular characterization of Streptococcus equi, using sequencing of the SeM gene in 16 archived samples of the bacteria. These samples were taken from clinical cases of strangles, a common infection in horses caused by Streptococcus equi, between years 2008 and 2012.
Findings
- Out of the 200 horses, 19 tested positive for Streptococcus equi, indicating a seroprevalence (the level of a pathogen in a population, as measured in blood serum) of 9.5%.
- Positive horses were found on 30% of the surveyed farms, showing the widespread nature of the bacteria.
- Most of the 16 horses which were retested still showed positive results after three and six months, implying an ongoing infection in these horses.
- From the archived bacteria samples, researchers were able to identify two strains of Streptococcus equi present in Israeli horses: SeM-2 and SeM-28.
Implications
- The study provides important information on the prevalence and strain types of Streptococcus equi in Israel. Such information is critical in developing targeted strategies for prevention and treatment of strangles and other infections caused by Streptococcus equi.
- The finding of long-term infection in a number of horses raises the possibility of a reservoir of infection among horse populations, which could lead to frequent outbreaks of the disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Tirosh-Levy S, Blum SE, Steward KF, Waller AS, Steinman A.
(2016).
Streptococcus equi subspecies equi in horses in Israel: seroprevalence and strain types.
Vet Rec Open, 3(1), e000187.
https://doi.org/10.1136/vetreco-2016-000187 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Rehovot , Israel.
- Department of Bacteriology , Kimron Veterinary Institute , Bet Dagan , Israel.
- Centre for Preventive Medicine, Animal Health Trust , Newmarket, Suffolk , UK.
- Centre for Preventive Medicine, Animal Health Trust , Newmarket, Suffolk , UK.
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Rehovot , Israel.
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This article includes 14 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Jaramillo-Morales C, James K, Barnum S, Vaala W, Chappell DE, Schneider C, Craig B, Bain F, Barnett DC, Gaughan E, Pusterla N. Voluntary Biosurveillance of Streptococcus equi Subsp. equi in Nasal Secretions of 9409 Equids with Upper Airway Infection in the USA. Vet Sci 2023 Jan 20;10(2).
- Mitchell C, Steward KF, Charbonneau ARL, Walsh S, Wilson H, Timoney JF, Wernery U, Joseph M, Craig D, van Maanen K, Hoogkamer-van Gennep A, Leon A, Witkowski L, Rzewuska M, Stefańska I, Żychska M, van Loon G, Cursons R, Patty O, Acke E, Gilkerson JR, El-Hage C, Allen J, Bannai H, Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Becú T, Pringle J, Guss B, Böse R, Abbott Y, Katz L, Leggett B, Buckley TC, Blum SE, Cruz López F, Fernández Ros A, Marotti Campi MC, Preziuso S, Robinson C, Newton JR, Schofield E, Brooke B, Boursnell M, de Brauwere N, Kirton R, Barton CK, Abudahab K, Taylor B, Yeats CA, Goater R, Aanensen DM, Harris SR, Parkhill J, Holden MTG, Waller AS. Globetrotting strangles: the unbridled national and international transmission of Streptococcus equi between horses. Microb Genom 2021 Mar;7(3).
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