Besnoitiosis in donkeys: an emerging parasitic disease of equids in Italy

Abstract

Besnoitiosis is an emerging parasitic disease of equids. Italy is one of the few European countries where the circulation of Besnoitia spp. antibodies was demonstrated. In this study, a case of clinical besnoitiosis in two donkeys in northern Italy is reported. The two animals were clinically examined. Serum and blood samples were analyzed for the detection of Besnoitia spp. antibodies and for hematology, biochemistry, and enzyme activity, respectively. ITS-1 PCR and sequencing were carried out on DNA extracted from skin biopsies. Clinical examination revealed numerous scleral pearls in eyes of both animals; alopecia and hyperkeratosis with skin nodules in the region of the neck, hind leg, and on the pinnae were detected. No cysts were evidenced by endoscopy in respiratory and genital tracts. Both animals resulted seropositive to Besnoitia spp. antibodies by Western Blot. Hematology evidenced light anemia, leukocytosis with eosinophilia, and lymphocytosis; biochemistry and enzyme activity revealed hypoalbuminemia with decreased albumin/globulin ratio and elevated alkaline phosphatase values. Parasitic DNA extracted from skin biopsies of both donkeys demonstrated a homology of 100% with Besnoitia spp. This first clinical case of besnoitiosis in two donkeys in Italy both confirms the circulation of Besnoitia spp. in Italian equids and demonstrates that the distribution area of equine besnoitiosis in Europe could be wider than expected. Further studies are needed to infer its relevance, in relation to seroprevalence and clinical disease, and to identify the species of Besnoitia infecting donkeys. Besnoitiosis may be a neglected disease of donkeys in Europe: an early and accurate diagnosis is fundamental to implement adequate control measures to prevent a “silent” spread of Besnoitia spp. infection in equids populations.

First report of Besnoitia bennetti in Irish donkeys: an emerging parasitic disease in Europe

“…Cysts were mainly present in the sclerae, conjunctivae, nares and muzzle in the two current cases, similar to previous reports where the sclera and the nares were the most common locations for Besnoitia lesions in donkeys [ 21 , 25 , 27 ]. No endoscopic examination was performed to look for the presence of laryngeal or nasopharyngeal cysts, which are less commonly identified [ 5 ], and vaginal mucosal cysts were not seen in the jenny here but had been identified in several cases previously [ 1 , 5 ].…”

“…This is similar to other studies, where Besnoitia cysts were noted incidentally at post-mortem examination in donkeys that were euthanized for other reasons [ 23 , 28 ]. In contrast, single cases of equine besnoitiosis in South Africa [ 18 ], the USA [ 1 , 21 , 27 ], Belgium [ 24 ], and Italy [ 25 ] were reported as severely affected, demonstrating cachexia and/or debilitation. However, co-morbidities, such as significant burdens of endo- and ecto-parasites [ 25 ] were often found in these animals and were reflected in haematologic and biochemical alterations [ 1 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…Besnoitiosis in equids is usually a non-fatal disease, characterized primarily by multi-focal white miliary nodular lesions (parasitic cysts) in the skin in a variety of sites: over the face and body, within the nares, on the internal and external pinnae, vulva, perineum and on the legs [ 1 , 5 , 25 ]. The most common and unique feature is the presence of scleral and conjunctival parasitic cysts, often referred to in the literature as ‘scleral pearls’ [ 1 , 5 , 21 , 23 – 28 ].…”

An update on epidemiology and clinical aspects of besnoitiosis in livestock and wildlife in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review

“…According to Elsheikha et al (2020) , the increasing number of reports in infections of B. bennetti in donkeys and other equids may be attributed to the improved awareness of the disease. Although infections in Africa has only been detected based on clinical signs, histological and pathological examination, exposure or infection of B. bennetti in equids in Europe were detected based on clinical signs, serological test (IFAT and western blot) ( Gutiérrez-Expósito et al, 2017 ) and partial rDNA sequencing ( Liénard et al, 2018 ), which have not been able to conclusively distinguish between species ( Villa et al, 2021 ). Schares et al (2021) isolated and identified B. darlingi -type naturally occurring in cheetah in Botswana based on conventional and real-time PCR.…”

Absence of anti‐ Besnoitia spp. specific antibodies in European wild lagomorphs from the Iberian Peninsula

“…Moreover, reproductive failure might be one of the major concerns as males may develop infertility, sterility or even may die during the acute phase of the infection (Álvarez-García, Cortes et al, 2014;González-Barrio et al, 2020). Clinical besnoitiosis has also been described in other livestock species such as donkeys, goats and horses (Elsheikha et al, 2020;Liénard et al, 2018;Namazi et al, 2011;Villa et al, 2018Villa et al, , 2021.…”