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Otgonsuren D, Amgalanbaatar T, Narantsatsral S, Enkhtaivan B, Munkhgerel D, Zoljargal M, Davkharbayar B, Myagmarsuren P, Battur B, Battsetseg B, Sivakumar T, Yokoyama N. Epidemiology and genetic diversity of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in Mongolian horses. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2024; 119:105571. [PMID: 38365128 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses. Because of its impact on horse industry, control of this disease is crucial for endemic countries. The control of equine piroplasmosis may be influenced by the genotypic diversity of T. equi and B. caballi. Mongolia, a country with a thriving livestock industry, is endemic for T. equi and B. caballi. However, nationwide epidemiological surveys have not been conducted to determine the current status of infections and genetic diversity of these two parasite species. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the infection rates and genotypes of T. equi and B. caballi in horses across Mongolia. Blood samples were collected from 1353 horses in 15 of Mongolia's 21 provinces, and their DNAs were analyzed with T. equi- and B. caballi-specific PCR assays. Additionally, blood smears were prepared from 251 horses, stained with Giemsa, and examined under a light microscope to identify T. equi and B. caballi. The microscopy revealed that 30 (11.9%) and 4 (1.6%) of the 251 horses were positive for T. equi and B. caballi, respectively. By contrast, PCR assays detected the T. equi and B. caballi in 1058 (78.2%) and 62 (4.6%) horses, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA sequences from 42 randomly selected T. equi-positive DNA samples detected the genotypes A and E. On the other hand, the rap-1 sequences from 19 randomly selected B. caballi-positive DNA samples occurred in clades representing the genotypes A and B1, as well as in a distinct clade closely related to the genotype A. Our findings confirm the widespread occurrence of T. equi and B. caballi infections in Mongolian horses, highlighting the need for a comprehensive control approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davaajav Otgonsuren
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Tovuu Amgalanbaatar
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Sandagdorj Narantsatsral
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Batsaikhan Enkhtaivan
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Dalantai Munkhgerel
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Myagmar Zoljargal
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Batbold Davkharbayar
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Punsantsogvoo Myagmarsuren
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Banzrach Battur
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Graduate School, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Badgar Battsetseg
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; WOAH Reference Laboratories for Bovine Babesiosis and Equine Piroplasmosis, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
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Onyiche TE, Sivakumar T, Tuvshintulga B, Nugraha AB, Ahedor B, Mofokeng L, Luka J, Mohammed A, Mbaya AW, Biu AA, Yokoyama N, Thekisoe O. Serosurvey for equine piroplasms in horses and donkeys from North-Western Nigeria using IFAT and ELISA. J Immunoassay Immunochem 2021; 42:648-661. [PMID: 34097577 DOI: 10.1080/15321819.2021.1935274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Equine piroplasmosis is caused by apicomplexan parasites, namely, Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, which are transmitted to equids principally through ticks. To ascertain the exposure of equines to agents of equine piroplasms, we tested serum samples collected from horses (n = 272) and donkeys (n = 170) in North-Western Nigeria for the presence of antibodies against B. caballi and T. equi using IFAT and ELISA. The seroprevalence of T. equi in the horses determined using IFAT and ELISA was 48.89% and 45.96%, respectively, while for B. caballi, it was 6.3% and 0.4%, respectively. For T. equi, the seroprevalence based on IFAT and ELISA results in donkeys was 14.1% and 2.9%, respectively, while for B. caballi, the seroprevalence was 2.4% and 0.6%, respectively, for ELISA and IFAT. Mixed infection detected in the horses using IFAT and ELISA was 5.5% and 0.4%, respectively, while no mixed infection was observed in the donkeys. The seroprevalence of T. equi was significantly (P < .0001) higher than that of B. caballi in both horses and donkeys. Comparatively, the IFAT detected a greater number of piroplasm seropositive animals than ELISA, indicating a difference in their diagnostic accuracy. Findings from this study confirm the existence of equine piroplasms in both horses and donkeys in North-Western Nigeria and highlights the need for robust and effective control measures against the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- ThankGod E Onyiche
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.,Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, South Africa.,Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
| | - Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Bumduuren Tuvshintulga
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Arifin Budiman Nugraha
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, IPB University, Indonesia
| | - Believe Ahedor
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.,Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Lehlohonolo Mofokeng
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Joshua Luka
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
| | - Ali Mohammed
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
| | - Albert W Mbaya
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
| | - Abdullahi A Biu
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Oriel Thekisoe
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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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; 9:E926. [PMID: 33171698 PMCID: PMC7695325 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9110926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Equine piroplasmosis (EP), caused by the hemoparasites Theileria equi, Theileria haneyi, and Babesia caballi, is an important tick-borne disease of equines that is prevalent in most parts of the world. Infection may affect animal welfare and has economic impacts related to limitations in horse transport between endemic and non-endemic regions, reduced performance of sport horses and treatment costs. Here, we analyzed the epidemiological, serological, and molecular diagnostic data published in the last 20 years, and all DNA sequences submitted to GenBank database, to describe the current global prevalence of these parasites. We demonstrate that EP is endemic in most parts of the world, and that it is spreading into more temperate climates. We emphasize the importance of using DNA sequencing and genotyping to monitor the spread of parasites, and point to the necessity of further studies to improve genotypic characterization of newly recognized parasite species and strains, and their linkage to virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Tirosh-Levy
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; (Y.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Yuval Gottlieb
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; (Y.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Lindsay M. Fry
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; (L.M.F.); (D.P.K.)
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Donald P. Knowles
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; (L.M.F.); (D.P.K.)
| | - Amir Steinman
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; (Y.G.); (A.S.)
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