The seroprevalence of equine trypanosomosis in the pantanal.

This study looked into the prevalence of antibodies against Trypanosoma evansi, a parasite causing equine trypanosomosis, in horse serum samples collected in the Pantanal, Brazil from 1993 to 1997. The results showed a correlation between high T. evansi seroprevalence and the rainy season, with the highest prevalence recorded in 1994 and the lowest in 1997.

Research Objective and Methods

• The research intended to investigate the prevalence of Trypanosoma evansi, a parasite known to cause equine trypanosomosis, in the Pantanal, Brazil, due to limited existing information on the epizootiological status of the parasite in South America, particularly in Brazil.
• The researchers achieved this by analysing serum samples from horses collected in the years 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1997 for the presence of antibodies against T. evansi.
• The study location was deliberately set in the Pantanal, as it is a significant ecological region in Brazil where equine trypanosomosis is believed to be common.

Research Findings

• The research exhibited evidence of a correlation between high seroprevalence of T. evansi and the rainy season in the Pantanal.
• The highest seroprevalence recorded was 79.2% from horses in a ranch located in the Nhecolândia sub-region in 1994.
• The lowest seroprevalence found was 5.8% in animals from the same ranch in 1997.
• In 1993, no seroprevalence was discovered.

Research Implications and Observations

• The research upheld the assumption of a possible re-introduction of T. evansi in the region and theorised a relationship between their results and the outbreaks reported in 1994.
• These findings help to elucidate the epizootiological status of T. evansi in Pantanal, thereby providing important insights for addressing the disease problem possibly caused by the parasite.
• Understanding the T. evansi seroprevalence in horses could provide a platform for the development of useful preventive and control strategies against equine trypanosomosis in the region.