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Prevalence of Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses from the north of Portugal

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Abstract

Piroplasmid protozoa Theileria equi and Babesia caballi and zoonotic rickettsial bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum are important agents of equine vector-borne diseases (EVBD). This study aimed at investigating the prevalence of infections with or exposure to these pathogens in horses from the north of Portugal. Blood was randomly collected from 162 horses, living in 72 different stables, to prepare Giemsa-stained slide smears. Additionally, plasma samples were tested for antibodies to T. equi and B. caballi by two competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and to A. phagocytophilum by an indirect fluorescence antibody test. Five horses were positive to T. equi by microscopy (3.1 %), three to B. caballi (1.9 %), and none to A. phagocytophilum with no horse simultaneously positive for the two piroplasms. Clinically suspect animals had a significantly higher positivity to T. equi by microscopy in comparison with the nonsuspect ones (21.4 vs. 1.4 %). Twenty-nine horses were seropositive to T. equi (17.9 %), 18 to B. caballi (11.1 %), and 21 to A. phagocytophilum (13.0 %). Combined serology and microscopy positive results to T. equi and B. caballi were 19.1 and 11.7 %, respectively, with 33.3 % of the horses found positive to at least one agent. Forty horses were positive to single agents and 14 to more than one agent. An outdoor or mixed outdoor/indoor type of housing was found to be a risk factor for the combined positivity to T. equi. Infections with T. equi, B. caballi, and A. phagocytophilum are endemic in the north of Portugal. In addition to the treatment of positive horses, preventive measures should be put in practice to reduce exposure to and infection with agents of EVBD.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Prof. P.A. Rodrigues (UTAD) for her assistance with map design and to Dr. J. Gomes (National Laboratory for Veterinary Research, INIAV, Ministry of Agriculture, Portugal) for his advice on the serological testing for A. phagocytophilum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), P.O. Box 1013, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    Ana J. Ribeiro & José M. Maia

  2. Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, UTAD, P.O. Box 1013, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    Luís Cardoso, Teresa Coutinho & Mário Cotovio

  3. Parasite Disease Group, IBMC–Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180, Oporto, Portugal

    Luís Cardoso

  4. CECAV–Veterinary and Animal Science Centre, UTAD, P.O. Box 1013, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    Mário Cotovio

Authors
  1. Ana J. Ribeiro
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  2. Luís Cardoso
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  3. José M. Maia
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  4. Teresa Coutinho
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  5. Mário Cotovio
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Correspondence to Luís Cardoso.

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Ana J. Ribeiro and Luís Cardoso contributed equally to this work.

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Ribeiro, A.J., Cardoso, L., Maia, J.M. et al. Prevalence of Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses from the north of Portugal. Parasitol Res 112, 2611–2617 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3429-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3429-9

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