Employment of the 18s rRNA screening PCR technique in the detection of Equine Piroplasmosis, in horses of sports and military operations, of the Brazilian Army

Abstract

The present work had the objective of detecting the occurrence of Equine Piroplasmosis in horses housed in the 3rd Guards Cavalry Regiment (GCR) - Brazilian Army (BA) ˗ Porto Alegre, RS-Brazil, as well as to demonstrate the proactivity of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technique, aiming at the judicious use of the resources involved in the training and employment of Equines in the Brazilian Army. Fifty horses of the 3rd GCR - Porto Alegre ˗ RS, which are employed for Sport, Military Ceremonial, Law and Order Guarantee Operations (LOGO), were evaluated by means of the 18s r RNA screening with PCR technique, thirty eight horses with Babesia Caballi and Theileria Equi were detected, which corresponds to an incidence of 76% of the horses effective analyzed at the time. In this way, it can be verified that the Military activity have its "performance and effectiveness" factors threatened in case the health of the principal of his means employed, that is the horse, is compromised. The PCR technique then offers a reliable and feasible tool for the detection of Equine Piroplasmosis in BA horses.

International Cross-border Movements of Horses in the State of Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil: Zoonoses, Biosafety, and Biodefense.

“…Equine Piroplasmosis is one of the main parasitic diseases affecting horses, responsible for great economic losses and restrictions in the international equestrian market, with Theileria Equi and Babesia Caballi as its main pathological agents (12).…”

“…With this study, we intend to present subsidies to draw the attention of authorities to this area, despite emphasizing that Pyroplasmosis, in addition to being a zoonosis, is present in our equine herds in use in the country and that the damages can be avoided with a correct Sanitary policy in international movements (12).…”