Abstract
The horse industry has grown rapidly as a leisure industry in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in parallel with an increased demand for equestrian activities. As a result, there has been an increase in horse breeding and equestrian population and potential exposure to ticks and their associated pathogens. To provide a better understanding of the potential disease risks of veterinary and medical importance, a study was conducted to determine the geographical distribution and diversity of ticks collected from horses and vegetation associated with horse racetracks/ranches throughout the ROK. This included a survey of five associated common pathogens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Borrelia spp., Babesia caballi, and Theileria equi. A total 9220 ticks were collected from horses and associated pastures. Ticks were identified to species, stage of development, and sex. Two species of ticks, Haemaphysalis longicornis (99.9%) and Ixodes nipponensis (0.1%) were identified. Two of the target pathogens, A. phagocytophilum and Borrelia spp., were detected in 5/1409 tick pools (0.35%) and 4/1409 pools (0.28%) of H. longicornis, respectively, both of which are zoonotic pathogens of medical importance. The results of 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis of A. phagocytophilum showed a close relationship to strains distributed in China, USA, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Poland. Borrelia spp. showed a close relationship, based on 16S rRNA gene, to the strains reported from the USA (B. burgdorferi and B. americana) and Japan (B. tanukii and B. garinii). These results provide information about the potential risks of veterinary and medical importance and the development of mitigation strategies for disease prevention.
Highlights
The number of horses has grown rapidly following the enactment of the Horse Industry Promotion Act by the Republic of Korea (ROK) government in 2011
The aims of this study were to identify tick species associated with horses and horse ranches at three metropolitan cities and seven provinces in the ROK, and to detect selected tick-borne pathogens: A. phagocytophilum, E. chaffeensis, Borrelia spp., B. caballi, and T. equi
Haemaphysalis longicornis was the predominant tick species collected from horses in the ROK, which is consistent with previous reports that horses in the ROK are primarily
Summary
The number of horses has grown rapidly following the enactment of the Horse Industry Promotion Act by the Republic of Korea (ROK) government in 2011. By 2019, there were 27,246 horses, 459 horseback riding facilities, and 919,556 riders in the ROK, with increases of 11.4%, 38.7% and 18.1%, respectively, compared to 2013 data [1]. The higher numbers of horses, associated horse facilities, and riders have increased the potential for exposure to ticks and transmission of tick-borne pathogens to both horses and associated equestrian personnel. Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBD) associated with horses have been reported in different countries (Italy, Spain, Sweden, Guatemala, Taiwan) where selected pathogens have resulted in abortion and decreased animal production [3,11,12,13,14]. Horse ranch personnel and riders are exposed to biting ticks and associated transmission of tick-borne pathogens [15,16]
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