Transfer of naturally acquired specific passive immunity against Anaplasma phagocytophilum in foals in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland.
Abstract: Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) is a common disease in adult horses, but clinical disease in foals is rarely reported. The relationship between equine maternal and neonatal antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum is unclear. Objective: That mares in an endemic region would be seropositive for A. phagocytophilum and that mare and foal serum IgG concentrations for A. phagocytophilum would correlate. Additionally, we hypothesized that foal IgG concentrations for A. phagocytophilum acquired by passive immunity would decline by 6 months of age. Methods: Twenty-two healthy mare-foal pairs. Methods: This prospective observational study investigated serum IgG concentrations specific for A. phagocytophilum in mares and foals using an immunofluorescent antibody test (IFA). The association between foal titer (as a binary variable) and age in months was assessed using a mixed-effects logistic regression. Results: A positive correlation between newborn foal antibody titers and mare titers was identified at both the pre-foaling (τa = 0.38, τb = 0.50, P = .009) and foaling timepoints (τa = 0.36, τb = 0.47, P = .01). In A. phagocytophilum seropositive neonates, it was unlikely that a positive titer would be detected by 3 months of age (OR = 0.002, P = .02, 95% CI: 0.00001-0.38). Three out of 20 foals seroconverted between 3 and 6 months of age. Conclusions: Transfer of specific passive immunity to A. phagocytophilum occurred in 80% of foals born to seropositive mares and declined by 3 months of age. A. phagocytophilum infection should be considered in foals displaying clinical signs consistent with EGA.
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Publication Date: 2023-07-28 PubMed ID: 37515307PubMed Central: PMC10472987DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16812Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Observational Study
- Observational Study
- Veterinary
- Journal Article
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.
Introduction
- Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) commonly affects adult horses.
- It’s rare for foals to show symptoms of the disease.
- There’s a lack of clarity on how antibodies against the causative organism, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, are transferred from mares to their offspring.
Study Hypotheses
- Mares from regions where EGA is prevalent would test positive for antibodies against A. phagocytophilum.
- The IgG antibody levels against A. phagocytophilum would be similar in both mares and their foals.
- Foals’ antibody levels, which they get from their mothers, would decline by 6 months of age.
Study Design
- This was a prospective observational study.
- 22 healthy mare-foal pairs were part of the study.
- The researchers used an immunofluorescent antibody test (IFA) to measure the IgG antibody concentrations against A. phagocytophilum.
- Statistical methods were used to explore the relationship between the foals’ antibody levels and their age.
Results
- A significant positive correlation was found between the antibody levels in newborn foals and their mothers, both before and at the time of birth.
- It became less common to detect these maternal antibodies in foals by the time they reached 3 months of age.
- 3 out of 20 foals developed these antibodies on their own between 3 and 6 months, suggesting they were exposed to the bacteria and formed their own immune response.
Conclusion
- 80% of foals born to antibody-positive mares received these antibodies passively from their mothers.
- This passive immunity waned significantly by the time the foals were 3 months old.
- If young foals exhibit symptoms of EGA, veterinarians should consider A. phagocytophilum infection as a possible reason.
This study provides insights into the transmission of immunity against A. phagocytophilum from mares to foals and the duration of this immunity in the foals.
Cite This Article
APA
Rule EK, Boyle AG, Stefanovski D, Anis E, Linton J, Lorello O.
(2023).
Transfer of naturally acquired specific passive immunity against Anaplasma phagocytophilum in foals in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland.
J Vet Intern Med, 37(5), 1889-1892.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16812 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Department of Pathobiology, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
- B.W. Furlong and Associates, Califon, New Jersey, USA.
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses
- Female
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum
- Maryland
- Pennsylvania
- Immunity, Maternally-Acquired
- Immunoglobulin G
- Horse Diseases
- Animals, Newborn
Grant Funding
- Raymond Firestone Trust and Raker/Tulleners Research Fund
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Aleman M, Vedavally U, Pusterla N, Wensley F, Berryhill E, Madigan JE. Common and atypical presentations of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in equids with emphasis on neurologic and muscle disease. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):440-448.
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