FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Transplacental Transmission of Theileria equi Is Not a Commo...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2020; 10(2); 341; doi: 10.3390/ani10020341

Transplacental Transmission of Theileria equi Is Not a Common Cause of Abortions and Infection of Foals in Israel.

Abstract: Although the main route of transmission of is through tick feeding, transplacental transmission is also possible and may lead to abortion, or to the birth of a sick or carrier foal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of as a cause of abortions in Israel and the risk of foals being infected at a young age. Eight aborting mares were serologically evaluated for exposure to via the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and their aborted fetuses were evaluated using PCR and qPCR. In addition, five mares and their foals (aged 4-6 months) from a highly endemic farm were tested for infection using IFAT, PCR and qPCR. Five of the eight aborting mares were seropositive for ; however, none of the aborted fetuses was infected. All five mares from the endemic farm were subclinically infected with . Of their five foals, one was infected, with relatively high parasitemia and different parasite genotype than its dam's, suggesting another source of infection. The results of this study suggest that transplacental transmission of is not common and does not appear to be a prominent cause of abortion in chronically infected mares.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2020-02-21 PubMed ID: 32098113PubMed Central: PMC7070885DOI: 10.3390/ani10020341Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • 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.

This research study finds that theileria equi, a parasite transmitted commonly by ticks, is not typically spread from a mare to its fetus, nor is it a frequently encountered cause of abortion in horses in Israel.

Objectives

  • The goal of this research was to assess the role of the parasite Theileria equi as a cause of abortions in Israel and to determine the risk of foals being infected at a young age.

Methodology

  • The researchers evaluated eight mares that had aborted their fetuses. The animals were tested for exposure to Theileria equi using the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). In the same vein, their aborted fetuses were assessed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative PCR methods.
  • Moreover, five mares and their foals aged between four and six months from a highly endemic farm were also tested for the infection using the same IFAT, PCR and qPCR methods.

Results

  • The study found that five out of the eight aborting mares tested positive for the parasite. However, none of the aborted fetuses was infected.
  • All five mares from the endemic farm were subclinically infected with Theileria equi. Among their five foals, just one was infected. The infected foal had a relatively high parasitemia and a different parasite genotype other than the mother’s, hinting that the infection might have originated from somewhere else.

Conclusions

  • The findings of the study suggest that the transplacental transmission of Theileria equi is not a common phenomenon.
  • The parasite does not seem to play a significant role in causing abortions in chronically infected mares. This conclusion contradicts current assumptions and expands knowledge about the transmission of the parasite in horse populations, especially in the context of fetal and young horse health.

Cite This Article

APA
Tirosh-Levy S, Gottlieb Y, Mimoun L, Mazuz ML, Steinman A. (2020). Transplacental Transmission of Theileria equi Is Not a Common Cause of Abortions and Infection of Foals in Israel. Animals (Basel), 10(2), 341. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020341

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
PII: 341

Researcher Affiliations

Tirosh-Levy, Sharon
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
Gottlieb, Yuval
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
Mimoun, Lea
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
Mazuz, Monica L
  • Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, 50250 Bet Dagan, Israel.
Steinman, Amir
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 23 references
  1. Rothschild CM. Equine piroplasmosis.. J. Equine. Vet. Sci. 2013;23:115–120.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2013.03.189google scholar: lookup
  2. Wise LN, Kappmeyer LS, Mealey RH, Knowles DP. Review of equine piroplasmosis.. J Vet Intern Med 2013 Nov-Dec;27(6):1334-46.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.12168pubmed: 24033559google scholar: lookup
  3. Chhabra S, Ranjan R, Uppal SK, Singla LD. Transplacental transmission of Babesia equi (Theileria equi) from carrier mares to foals.. J Parasit Dis 2012 Apr;36(1):31-3.
    doi: 10.1007/s12639-011-0072-1pmc: PMC3284609pubmed: 23543072google scholar: lookup
  4. de Waal DT. Equine piroplasmosis: a review.. Br Vet J 1992 Jan-Feb;148(1):6-14.
    doi: 10.1016/0007-1935(92)90061-5pubmed: 1551016google scholar: lookup
  5. Georges KC, Ezeokoli CD, Sparagano O, Pargass I, Campbell M, D'Abadie R, Yabsley MJ. A case of transplacental transmission of Theileria equi in a foal in Trinidad.. Vet Parasitol 2011 Feb 10;175(3-4):363-6.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.10.019pubmed: 21051152google scholar: lookup
  6. Levi MM, Tirosh-Levy S, Dahan R, Berlin D, Steinman A, Edery N, Savitski I, Lebovich B, Knowles D, Suarez CE. First Detection of Diffuse and Cerebral Theileria equi Infection in Neonatal Filly.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2018;60:23–28.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2017.10.016google scholar: lookup
  7. Oliveira A, Pinheiro G, Souza T, Flecher M, Santos R. Abortion in association with transplacental Theileria equi infection in a mare from the State of Espírito Santo, southeast Brazil: Case report.. Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia 2019;71:369–373.
    doi: 10.1590/1678-4162-10696google scholar: lookup
  8. Sudan V, Jaiswal AK, Srivastava A, Saxena A, Shanker D. A rare clinical presentation of transplacental transmission and subsequent abortion by Babesia (Theileria) equi in a mare.. J Parasit Dis 2015 Jun;39(2):336-8.
    doi: 10.1007/s12639-013-0337-ypmc: PMC4456536pubmed: 26064031google scholar: lookup
  9. Lewis BD, Penzhorn BL, Volkmann DH. Could treatment of pregnant mares prevent abortions due to equine piroplasmosis?. J S Afr Vet Assoc 1999 Jun;70(2):90-1.
    doi: 10.4102/jsava.v70i2.760pubmed: 10855828google scholar: lookup
  10. Allsopp MT, Lewis BD, Penzhorn BL. Molecular evidence for transplacental transmission of Theileria equi from carrier mares to their apparently healthy foals.. Vet Parasitol 2007 Sep 1;148(2):130-6.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.05.017pubmed: 17601669google scholar: lookup
  11. Phipps LP, Otter A. Transplacental transmission of Theileria equi in two foals born and reared in the United Kingdom.. Vet Rec 2004 Mar 27;154(13):406-8.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.154.13.406pubmed: 15083978google scholar: lookup
  12. Donnelly J, Phipps LP, Watkins KL. Evidence of maternal antibodies to Babesia equi and B caballi in foals of seropositive mares.. Equine Vet J 1982 Apr;14(2):126-8.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1982.tb02365.xpubmed: 7084196google scholar: lookup
  13. Kumar S, Kumar R, Gupta AK, Dwivedi SK. Passive transfer of Theileria equi antibodies to neonate foals of immune tolerant mares.. Vet Parasitol 2008 Jan 25;151(1):80-5.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.10.001pubmed: 18022185google scholar: lookup
  14. Aharonson-Raz K, Rapoport A, Hawari IM, Lensky IM, Berlin D, Zivotofsky D, Klement E, Steinman A. Novel description of force of infection and risk factors associated with Theileria equi in horses in Israel and in The Palestinian Authority.. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014 Jun;5(4):366-72.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.01.002pubmed: 24703834google scholar: lookup
  15. Ketter-Ratzon D, Tirosh-Levy S, Nachum-Biala Y, Saar T, Qura'n L, Zivotofsky D, Abdeen Z, Baneth G, Steinman A. Characterization of Theileria equi genotypes in horses in Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017 Jun;8(4):499-505.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.02.010pubmed: 28286144google scholar: lookup
  16. Alhassan A, Pumidonming W, Okamura M, Hirata H, Battsetseg B, Fujisaki K, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I. Development of a single-round and multiplex PCR method for the simultaneous detection of Babesia caballi and Babesia equi in horse blood.. Vet Parasitol 2005 Apr 20;129(1-2):43-9.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2004.12.018pubmed: 15817201google scholar: lookup
  17. Steinman A, Zimmerman T, Klement E, Lensky IM, Berlin D, Gottlieb Y, Baneth G. Demographic and environmental risk factors for infection by Theileria equi in 590 horses in Israel.. Vet Parasitol 2012 Jul 6;187(3-4):558-62.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.01.018pubmed: 22293151google scholar: lookup
  18. Bhoora R, Quan M, Matjila PT, Zweygarth E, Guthrie AJ, Collins NE. Sequence heterogeneity in the equi merozoite antigen gene (ema-1) of Theileria equi and development of an ema-1-specific TaqMan MGB assay for the detection of T. equi.. Vet Parasitol 2010 Aug 27;172(1-2):33-45.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.04.025pubmed: 20493635google scholar: lookup
  19. Sant C, Allicock OM, d'Abadie R, Charles RA, Georges K. Phylogenetic analysis of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi sequences from thoroughbred mares and foals in Trinidad.. Parasitol Res 2019 Apr;118(4):1171-1177.
    doi: 10.1007/s00436-019-06240-xpubmed: 30761425google scholar: lookup
  20. Sant C, d'Abadie R, Pargass I, Basu AK, Asgarali Z, Charles RA, Georges KC. Prospective study investigating transplacental transmission of equine piroplasmosis in thoroughbred foals in Trinidad.. Vet Parasitol 2016 Aug 15;226:132-7.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.07.008pubmed: 27514898google scholar: lookup
  21. Ueti MW, Palmer GH, Kappmeyer LS, Statdfield M, Scoles GA, Knowles DP. Ability of the vector tick Boophilus microplus to acquire and transmit Babesia equi following feeding on chronically infected horses with low-level parasitemia.. J Clin Microbiol 2005 Aug;43(8):3755-9.
    doi: 10.1128/JCM.43.8.3755-3759.2005pmc: PMC1233951pubmed: 16081906google scholar: lookup
  22. Bhoora R, Franssen L, Oosthuizen MC, Guthrie AJ, Zweygarth E, Penzhorn BL, Jongejan F, Collins NE. Sequence heterogeneity in the 18S rRNA gene within Theileria equi and Babesia caballi from horses in South Africa.. Vet Parasitol 2009 Feb 5;159(2):112-20.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.10.004pubmed: 19019541google scholar: lookup
  23. Knowles DP, Kappmeyer LS, Haney D, Herndon DR, Fry LM, Munro JB, Sears K, Ueti MW, Wise LN, Silva M, Schneider DA, Grause J, White SN, Tretina K, Bishop RP, Odongo DO, Pelzel-McCluskey AM, Scoles GA, Mealey RH, Silva JC. Discovery of a novel species, Theileria haneyi n. sp., infective to equids, highlights exceptional genomic diversity within the genus Theileria: implications for apicomplexan parasite surveillance.. Int J Parasitol 2018 Aug;48(9-10):679-690.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.03.010pubmed: 29885436google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Idoko IS, Edeh RE, Adamu AM, Machunga-Mambula S, Okubanjo OO, Balogun EO, Adamu S, Johnson W, Kappmeyer L, Mousel M, Ueti MW. Molecular and Serological Detection of Piroplasms in Horses from Nigeria. Pathogens 2021 Apr 23;10(5).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens10050508pubmed: 33922468google scholar: lookup
  2. Tirosh-Levy S, Mazuz ML, Savitsky I, Pinkas D, Gottlieb Y, Steinman A. Serological and Molecular Prevalence of Babesia caballi in Apparently Healthy Horses in Israel. Pathogens 2021 Apr 8;10(4).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens10040445pubmed: 33917822google scholar: lookup
  3. Perrucci S, Guardone L, Altomonte I, Salari F, Nardoni S, Martini M, Mancianti F. Apicomplexan Protozoa Responsible for Reproductive Disorders: Occurrence of DNA in Blood and Milk of Donkeys (Equus asinus) and Minireview of the Related Literature. Pathogens 2021 Jan 22;10(2).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens10020111pubmed: 33499205google scholar: lookup
  4. Fuehrer HP, Alho AM, Kayikci FN, Shahi Barogh B, Rosa H, Tomás J, Rocha H, Harl J, Madeira de Carvalho L. Survey of Zoonotic and Non-zoonotic Vector-Borne Pathogens in Military Horses in Lisbon, Portugal. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:591943.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.591943pubmed: 33195629google scholar: lookup
  5. Tirosh-Levy S, Gottlieb Y, Fry LM, Knowles DP, Steinman A. Twenty Years of Equine Piroplasmosis Research: Global Distribution, Molecular Diagnosis, and Phylogeny. Pathogens 2020 Nov 8;9(11).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens9110926pubmed: 33171698google scholar: lookup
  6. Ullah A, Geng M, Chen W, Zhu Q, Shi L, Zhang X, Akhtar MF, Wang C, Khan MZ. Effect of Parasitic Infections on Hematological Profile, Reproductive and Productive Performance in Equines. Animals (Basel) 2025 Nov 14;15(22).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15223294pubmed: 41302002google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.