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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Anim Sci / Systematic monitoring of glanders-infected horses by complem...
Veterinary and animal science2020; 10; 100147; doi: 10.1016/j.vas.2020.100147

Systematic monitoring of glanders-infected horses by complement fixation test, bacterial isolation, and PCR.

Abstract: Glanders is an equine zoonosis caused by Burkholderia mallei that is responsible for considerable economic loss. Complement fixation testing (CFT) using warm or cold incubation are recommended by the OIE, but many routinely used detection tests may present misleading results. To increase accuracy of glanders diagnosis and establish an appropriate protocol in collaboration with the National Equine Health Program, seven horses positive for glanders kept in isolation in Brazil were examined fortnightly by CFT, microbiological screening, and molecular testing. Warm and cold serologies with USDA and c.c.Pro antigens, respectively, were performed on 132 samples using the US Department of Agriculture protocol. The warm and cold serologies showed, respectively,12.9% and 17.3% seroreactive, 85.7% and 65.2% non-reactive, 0.8% and 3% inconclusive, and 0% and 2.3% anticomplementary. The agreement of CFT protocols was moderate. Of 213 clinical samples submitted to selective culture (167 nasal swabs, 5 ocular swabs, 3 lymph node punctures, and 38 tissue samples from four horses that died), 1.9% tested positive for B. mallei. Fourteen samples and one nasal swab (7%) tested positive with PCR. Cold CFT with the USDA and c.c.Pro antigens, in combination with PCR to increase sensitivity, may be useful for diagnosis of chronic glanders.
© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2020-10-06 PubMed ID: 33089006PubMed Central: PMC7566944DOI: 10.1016/j.vas.2020.100147Google 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 research studied ways to increase the accuracy of glanders diagnosis in horses, a disease caused by bacterial infection, using Complement Fixation Testing (CFT), bacterial isolation, and PCR testing. The study examined seven infected horses over time and found that a combination of “cold” antibody tests and PCR testing might improve diagnosing chronic glanders.

Background

  • Glanders is a highly infectious disease in equines caused by a bacterial infection that results in considerable economic loss.
  • Diagnostic methods like Complement Fixation Testing (CFT), using warm or cold incubation are usually recommended, but present misleading results often.
  • The aim of this research was to establish an accurate diagnostic method for glanders, and develop an improved protocol along with the National Equine Health Program.
  • The study was conducted on seven horses isolated and diagnosed with glanders in Brazil.

Method

  • The seven horses were examined bi-weekly using three diagnostic methods: complement fixation testing (CFT), microbiological screening, and molecular testing using PCR.
  • Warm and cold serological tests were performed on 132 samples using the US Department of Agriculture protocol.
  • 213 clinical samples were sent for bacterial culture; these included 167 nasal swabs, 5 ocular swabs, 3 lymph node punctures, and 38 tissue samples from four horses that died during the study.

Results

  • Among 132 samples treated with warm and cold serologies, 12.9% and 17.3% respectively showed seroreactivity, 85.7% and 65.2% were non-reactive, 0.8% and 3% were inconclusive, and 0% and 2.3% proved anticomplementary – meaning they interacted negatively with the tests.
  • The agreement between the results of the two CFT protocols (warm and cold) was found to be moderate.
  • Of the 213 clinical samples submitted for selective culture, only 1.9% tested positive for the bacterium that causes glanders.
  • Fourteen tissue samples and one nasal swab, amounting to 7% of total samples, tested positive with PCR.

Conclusion

  • The study concluded that the cold CFT process with USDA and c.c.Pro antigens, when used in combination with PCR testing, could potentially improve the diagnosis of chronic cases of glanders.
  • This suggested process offers a more sensitive diagnosis method for chronic glanders than currently available procedures.

Cite This Article

APA
Abreu DC, Gomes AS, Tessler DK, Chiebao DP, Fava CD, Romaldini AHCN, Araujo MC, Pompei J, Marques GF, Harakava R, Pituco EM, Nassar AFC. (2020). Systematic monitoring of glanders-infected horses by complement fixation test, bacterial isolation, and PCR. Vet Anim Sci, 10, 100147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vas.2020.100147

Publication

Veterinary and animal science
ISSN: 2451-943X
NlmUniqueID: 101694897
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 10
Pages: 100147

Researcher Affiliations

Abreu, Diego Candido
  • Instituto Biológico, Centro de Pesquisa em Sanidade Animal, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252 - Vila Mariana SP, CEP: 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Gomes, Aline Silva
  • Instituto Biológico, Centro de Pesquisa em Sanidade Animal, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252 - Vila Mariana SP, CEP: 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Tessler, Danielle Klein
  • Instituto Biológico, Centro de Pesquisa em Sanidade Animal, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252 - Vila Mariana SP, CEP: 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Chiebao, Daniela Pontes
  • Instituto Biológico, Centro de Pesquisa em Sanidade Animal, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252 - Vila Mariana SP, CEP: 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Fava, Cláudia Del
  • Instituto Biológico, Centro de Pesquisa em Sanidade Animal, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252 - Vila Mariana SP, CEP: 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Romaldini, Adriana Hellmeister de Campos Nogueira
  • Instituto Biológico, Centro de Pesquisa em Sanidade Animal, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252 - Vila Mariana SP, CEP: 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Araujo, Mateus Carvalho
  • Médico Veterinário, Auditora Fiscal Federal Agropecuário, Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA).
Pompei, Júlio
  • Centro Panamericano de Febre Aftosa (PANAFTOSA - OPS/OMS).
Marques, Guilherme Figueiredo
  • Centro Panamericano de Febre Aftosa (PANAFTOSA - OPS/OMS).
Harakava, Ricardo
  • Instituto Biológico, Centro de Pesquisa em Sanidade Animal, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252 - Vila Mariana SP, CEP: 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Pituco, Edviges Maristela
  • Centro Panamericano de Febre Aftosa (PANAFTOSA - OPS/OMS).
Nassar, Alessandra Figueiredo de Castro
  • Instituto Biológico, Centro de Pesquisa em Sanidade Animal, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves 1252 - Vila Mariana SP, CEP: 04014-002, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Conflict of Interest Statement

We are submitting the paper entitled “Systematic monitoring of glanders-infected horses by complement fixation test, bacterial isolation, and PCR “ for analysis by the editorial boarding of the Veterinary and Animal Science. We declare that there is no financial or personal relationship that could cause a conflict of interest regarding this article.

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