A field survey for the seroprevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in donkeys from Nuu Division, Kenya

Abstract

Equine piroplasmosis is one of the most significant tick-borne disease of equids. The prevalence of this disease in donkeys of semi-arid Kenya remains largely unexplored. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the extent to which donkeys in Nuu division, Kenya have been exposed to the haemoprotozoans Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis. The study also assessed the effect of age and sex on seroprevalence. A stratified sampling approach was used and three hundred and fourteen donkeys were sampled across nine sub-locations in Nuu division, Mwingi district. Serodiagnosis was via competitive inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (cELISA). The seroprevalence of T. equi was 81.2% (95% CI: 76.4-85.4). There was no significant difference in sub-location seropositivity, gender seropositivity or age related seropositivity. Antibodies against B. caballi were not detected (95% CI: 0-1.2). Findings from this study suggest that T. equi infection is endemic in Nuu division, Mwingi where it exists in a state of endemic stability. Existence of the infection should be communicated to animal health practitioners and donkey owning communities in the area.

Molecular evidence of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in equines and ticks in Nigeria: prevalence and risk factors analysis

“…North-Western Nigeria. EP has been reported previously in other parts of Africa including South Africa (Gummow et al, 1996;Bhoora et al, 2020), Sudan (Salim et al, 2008), Egypt (Mahmoud et al, 2016), Kenya (Oduori et al, 2015) and Nigeria (Turaki et al, 2014).…”

Frequency and factors associated with Theileria equi, Babesia caballi and Trypanosoma evansi in equids from Bahia (Northeast Brazil)

“…Since the ticks Rhipicephalus microplus (BATTSETSEG et al, 2002), Amblyoma cajennense (= A.sculptum) (KERBER et al, 2009;MARTINS et al, 2016), and Dermacentor nitens (HEIM et al, 2007;SANTOS et al, 2009), which are the vectors of both T. equi and B. caballi, were present in the study area, differences in infection frequency between these two hemoparasitic infections is probably associated with the different forms of transmission and increased pathogenicity of T. equi (ALLSOPP et al, 2007), leading to higher and more persistent parasitaemias (DAVITKOV et al, 2016). In addition, the ability of equids to limit B. caballi infection (WEILAND, 1986) and/or the lower prevalence of B. caballi in the region (HAWKINS et al, 2015;ODUORI et al, 2015) may also explain the variations between the results of different surveys.…”

Why the Donkey Did Not Go South: Disease as a Constraint on the Spread of Equus asinus into Southern Africa

“…Nevertheless, at least some donkey populations-for example those examined in Kenya by Oduori et al (2015)-show a degree of resistance to the latter condition, and African donkeys in general appear to suffer much less from African horse sickness than those living elsewhere. The corollary of these propositions is, however, that such immunity must have taken time to evolve and that on first exposure donkey mortality and morbidity rates will have been much higher.…”

“…Piroplasmosis has been reported in donkeys in Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya but is likely to be much more widespread than this, as is the case with its occurrence in horses (Oduori et al 2015). Clinically visible signs of infection, which are more evident when infection is caused by T. equi than by B. caballi, include loss of appetite, anaemia, oedema, reduced work efficiency, weight loss and abortion, with overwork putting donkeys at increased risk (Oduori et al 2015, p. 684).…”

“…Proliferation of the parasite within the animal's erythrocytes then paves the way for the infection of any new, uninfected tick (Wise et al 2013(Wise et al , p. 1336. A wide range of ticks may act as vectors for these parasites, including species of Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma (Wise et al 2013;Oduori et al 2015), and the red-legged tick Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, in particular, is often observed on donkeys (De Waal and van Heerden 1994). T. equi can, however, also be transmitted transplacentally and may result in abortion, stillbirth or infection of a live foal (Wise et al 2013(Wise et al , p. 1337.…”