Abstract
Equine piroplasmosis, an economically important disease of equids caused by the hemoprotozoan parasites Theileria equi, T. haneyi, and Babesia caballi, has a worldwide distribution. These parasites are transmitted by ixodid ticks. To improve the detection of horses in Nigeria exposed to piroplasm parasites, 72 horses with variable clinical signs of piroplasmosis were sampled from Northwest and Northcentral Nigeria and tested by nPCR and cELISA. Blood and serum samples were collected from each horse via jugular venesection. Individually, nPCR or cELISA failed to identify all horses exposed to piroplasms. A combination of species-specific nPCR and the OIE-approved T. equi and B. caballi cELISAs enhanced the detection of horses exposed to parasites. The results also demonstrated horses showing abnormal hematology were positive for only T. equi, except for one sample that was coinfected with T. equi and T. haneyi. We also identified ticks collected from some of the horses, with Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi being the most prevalent. This study shows that a larger proportion of horses in the sample set were exposed to T. equi than B. caballi or T. haneyi. Additionally, ticks that have been previously reported as potential vectors for these parasites were found to have infested sampled horses. Further studies are needed to investigate which tick species are competent vectors for Theileria spp. and Babesia caballi in Nigeria.
Highlights
Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an economically important disease of equids caused by the hemoprotozoan parasites Theileria equi and Babesia caballi [1], and the recently defined T. haneyi [2]
We report using the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) approved competitive ELISA (cELISA) serological tests [23] combined with molecular detection for T. equi, T. haneyi, and B. caballi to increase our ability to detect horses exposed to pathogens that cause EP
The 72 horses examined in this study showed variable clinical signs
Summary
Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an economically important disease of equids caused by the hemoprotozoan parasites Theileria equi and Babesia caballi [1], and the recently defined T. haneyi [2]. In Nigeria, economic benefits arise from the use of horses in ceremonies (durbars and parades), recreation, agriculture, food, and as companion animals [3]. Those economic benefits are challenged by numerous problems, including disease, poor management practices, malnutrition, and unrestricted cross-border movement of horses [4]. All these factors contribute to the maintenance and spread of EP parasites but may be mitigated by a better understanding of parasite distribution within regions of this large, ecologically, and culturally diverse country. Antibodies remained detectable for months after parasite elimination [19]
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