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Jongejan F, Du C, Papadopoulos E, Blanda V, Di Bella S, Cannella V, Guercio A, Vicari D, Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A, Baneth G, van Keulen S, Hulsebos I, Berger L, Wang X. Diagnostic performance of a rapid immunochromatographic test for the simultaneous detection of antibodies to Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses and donkeys. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:160. [PMID: 38549117 PMCID: PMC10979598 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06253-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Equine piroplasmosis is caused by two tick-borne protozoan parasites, Theileria equi and Babesia caballi,, which are clinically relevant in susceptible horses, donkeys, and mules. Moreover, equine piroplasmosis significantly constrains international trading and equestrian events. Rapidly diagnosing both parasites in carrier animals is essential for implementing effective control measures. Here, a rapid immunochromatographic test for the simultaneous detection of antibodies to T. equi and B. caballi was evaluated using samples from horses and donkeys collected in Greece, Israel, and Italy. The results were compared with an improved competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for detecting antibodies to both parasites using the same panel of samples. METHODS Blood samples were collected from 255 horses and donkeys. The panel consisted of 129 horses sampled at four locations in northern Greece, 105 donkeys sampled at four locations in Sicily, and 21 horses sampled at two locations in Israel. The rapid test and the cELISA were performed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and the results were subjected to a statistical analysis to determine the sensitivity and specificity of both tests and their association. RESULTS The immunochromatographic test provided a result within 15 min and can be performed in the field, detecting both pathogens simultaneously. The overall coincidence rate between the rapid test and the cELISA for detecting antibodies against T. equi was 93% and 92.9% for B. caballi. The rapid test's sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for T. equi were above 91.5%. Sixteen samples were positive for both parasites in the rapid test and eight in the cELISA. Either test had no significant association between T. equi and B. caballi detection. The detection rates of both parasites were significantly higher in Italy than in Greece or Israel and in donkeys than in horses. The agreement for T. equi between the results of both tests was high in Greece (93.8%) and Italy (95.2%) and moderate in Israel (76.2%). For B. caballi, the specificity and NPV of the rapid test were high (94.2% and 98.3%, respectively), although the sensitivity and PPV were moderate (69.2% and 39.1%, respectively) due to the small sample size. However, for B. caballi, the sensitivity was higher with the rapid test. CONCLUSIONS The rapid test detected T. equi and B. caballi simultaneously in the field, potentially replacing laborious cELISA testing and is recommended for import/export purposes. The test can also be helpful for the differential diagnosis of clinical cases, since seropositivity may rule out equine piroplasmosis since it does not indicate current or active infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Jongejan
- Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases Research Programme, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, Republic of South Africa.
- TBD International BV, BioScience Center, Wageningen University & Research, Runderweg 6, 8219 PK, Lelystad, The Netherlands.
| | - Cheng Du
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Elias Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Valeria Blanda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A.Mirri", Palermo, Sicily, Italy
| | - Santina Di Bella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A.Mirri", Palermo, Sicily, Italy
| | - Vincenza Cannella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A.Mirri", Palermo, Sicily, Italy
| | - Annalisa Guercio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A.Mirri", Palermo, Sicily, Italy
| | - Domenico Vicari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A.Mirri", Palermo, Sicily, Italy
| | - Sharon Tirosh-Levy
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Amir Steinman
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gad Baneth
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sanna van Keulen
- TBD International BV, BioScience Center, Wageningen University & Research, Runderweg 6, 8219 PK, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Iris Hulsebos
- TBD International BV, BioScience Center, Wageningen University & Research, Runderweg 6, 8219 PK, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Berger
- TBD International BV, BioScience Center, Wageningen University & Research, Runderweg 6, 8219 PK, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
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