Validation of an in-clinic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit for diagnosis of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in horses.
Abstract: Confirmation of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in horses has required enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or Western blot tests performed by reference laboratories. An in-clinic C6 ELISA SNAP kit has been marketed for dogs. This canine kit was evaluated for horses using serum from experimentally infected ponies. Serum samples originated from 2 previous studies. In the first study, 7 ponies were exposed to B. burgdorferi-infected ticks; 4 ponies served as uninfected controls. Serum samples were obtained bimonthly for 9 months. In the second study, 16 ponies were exposed to B. burgdorferi-infected ticks. After confirmation of infection by skin culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and serology, the ponies were allocated to 4 groups that received tetracycline, doxycycline, ceftiofur, or no treatment. Serum samples were obtained monthly, both before and after antibiotic treatments, for 11 months. For the current study, selected samples (n = 220) from both studies were tested with IDEXX SNAP Heartworm Ab/Borrelia burgdorferi Ab/Ehrlichia canis Ab Test Kits. Tested samples included samples taken before infection, from various times postinfection, and after antibiotic treatments. Results from confirmed positive or negative samples were used to determine sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Results indicate that the test kits have fair sensitivity (63%) and very high specificity (100%) for horses recently infected with B. burgdorferi. Validation of this test provides equine practitioners with an inexpensive, in-clinic method to confirm infection, although its moderate sensitivity may result in a moderate chance of a false negative test.
Publication Date: 2008-05-08 PubMed ID: 18460618DOI: 10.1177/104063870802000309Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Evaluation Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Antibiotics
- Clinical Study
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Treatment
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
- Equine Health
- Horses
- In Vivo
- Infection
- Infectious Disease
- Lyme Disease
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Serology
- Tick-Borne Diseases
- Ticks
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
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This research article discusses the validation of a quick in-clinic diagnostic test kit for horses suspected to be infected by Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. The research shows that although the test has a moderate sensitivity, which may result in occasional false negatives, it presents a speedy, inexpensive alternative to the traditional lab-based testing methods.
Study Design
- The researchers evaluated an in-clinic C6 ELISA SNAP kit meant for dogs on horses using serum from horses experimentally infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium transmitted by ticks to cause Lyme disease.
- They drew serum samples from two studies. In the first study, they exposed seven ponies to ticks infected with B. burgdorferi and kept four ponies as uninfected controls. They collected serum samples every two months for nine months.
- In the second study, they exposed sixteen ponies to B. burgdorferi-infected ticks and, after confirming the infection through skin culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and serology, divided the ponies into four groups. These groups received either doxycycline, tetracycline, ceftiofur, or no treatment. Here, they collected serum samples before and after antibiotic treatments monthly for eleven months.
Test Procedure
- For this study, selected samples (n = 220) from both studies were tested using the IDEXX SNAP Heartworm Ab/Borrelia burgdorferi Ab/Ehrlichia canis Ab Test Kits.
- The samples included ones taken before infection, from several points after infection, and after antibiotic treatments.
Results
- The results of the confirmed positive or negative samples were used to determine the sensitivity (ability to correctly identify positive cases) and specificity (ability to correctly identify negative cases) of the assay.
- The test kits showed modest sensitivity (63%) and very high specificity (100%) for horses that had recently been infected with B. burgdorferi.
Conclusion
- The validation of this test provides a faster, inexpensive, in-clinic method for equine practitioners to confirm B. burgdorferi infection in horses.
- The moderate sensitivity of the test, however, indicates that there may be a moderate chance of receiving a false negative result.
Cite This Article
APA
Johnson AL, Divers TJ, Chang YF.
(2008).
Validation of an in-clinic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit for diagnosis of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in horses.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 20(3), 321-324.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063870802000309 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, 382 West Street Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA. aljdvm03@gmail.com
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
- Borrelia burgdorferi
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horses
- Lyme Disease / diagnosis
- Lyme Disease / veterinary
- Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / veterinary
- Reproducibility of Results
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Neely M, Arroyo L, Jardine C, Clow K, Moore A, Hazlett M, Weese JS. Evaluation of 2 ELISAs to determine Borrelia burgdorferi seropositivity in horses over a 12-month period.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021 Jul;33(4):736-739.
- Laamari A, Azzag N, Tennah S, Derdour SY, China B, Boꯚllah R, Ghalmi F. Seroprevalence of Antibodies Against Anaplasma Phagocytophilum and Borrelia Burgdorferi in Horses (Equus Caballus) from Northern Algeria.. J Vet Res 2020 Sep;64(3):413-419.
- Houben RMAC, Meersschaert C, Hendrickx G, Pitel PH, Amory H. Modelling the probability and impact of false-positive serology for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato: A case study.. Equine Vet J 2021 Jan;53(1):71-77.
- Divers TJ, Gardner RB, Madigan JE, Witonsky SG, Bertone JJ, Swinebroad EL, Schutzer SE, Johnson AL. Borrelia burgdorferi Infection and Lyme Disease in North American Horses: A Consensus Statement.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Mar;32(2):617-632.
- Vieira RF, Vieira TS, Nascimento Ddo A, Martins TF, Krawczak FS, Labruna MB, Chandrashekar R, Marcondes M, Biondo AW, Vidotto O. Serological survey of Ehrlichia species in dogs, horses and humans: zoonotic scenery in a rural settlement from southern Brazil.. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2013 Sep-Oct;55(5):335-40.
- Burbelo PD, Bren KE, Ching KH, Coleman A, Yang X, Kariu T, Iadarola MJ, Pal U. Antibody profiling of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in horses.. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2011 Sep;18(9):1562-7.
- Hansen MG, Christoffersen M, Thuesen LR, Petersen MR, Bojesen AM. Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Danish horses.. Acta Vet Scand 2010 Jan 18;52(1):3.
- Murdock JH, Yabsley MJ, Little SE, Chandrashekar R, O'Connor TP, Caudell JN, Huffman JE, Langenberg JA, Hollamby S. Distribution of antibodies reactive to Borrelia lonestari and Borrelia burgdorferi in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations in the eastern United States.. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2009 Dec;9(6):729-36.
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