Investigating the presence of equine piroplasmosis in Ireland

Coultous, Robert M; Leadon, D. P.; Shiels, Brian; Sutton, David; Weir, William

doi:10.1136/vr.105937

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(40 reference statements)

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“…These seroprevalences are considerably higher than our observations, while both studies make use of samples submitted for routine diagnostics in the context of export, and are more in the line of the seroprevalence reported in Switzerland (7.3%) ( 22 ). A similar study with samples submitted for screening in Ireland showed an overall seroprevalence of 3.5% (1.5% for B. caballi and 2.5% for T. equi ) which is more comparable to the seroprevalences found in our study compared to the seroprevalence of 8.0% in the UK ( 23 ). Due to legislation concerning data protection, no detailed information was available on the origin of the tested horses ( 23 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…A similar study with samples submitted for screening in Ireland showed an overall seroprevalence of 3.5% (1.5% for B. caballi and 2.5% for T. equi ) which is more comparable to the seroprevalences found in our study compared to the seroprevalence of 8.0% in the UK ( 23 ). Due to legislation concerning data protection, no detailed information was available on the origin of the tested horses ( 23 ). However, the seroprevalence is still at least twice as high as the seroprevalences in both Dutch horses and horses originating from abroad in our study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

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Low seroprevalence of equine piroplasmosis in horses exported from the Netherlands between 2015 and 2021

Graham

Kalsbeek²,

Goot³

et al. 2022

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease affecting horses, donkeys, mules and zebras, caused by the intracellular apicomplexan protozoa Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. The geographical distribution of EP is closely related to the distribution of its vector tick species belonging to the genera of Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma. Since the discovery of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks in 2007 and the first reported autochthonous cases in the South of the Netherlands in 2012, no data on the (sero)prevalence of EP in horses in the Netherlands have been reported and it remains unclear whether B. caballi and T. equi have been able to establish themselves in the Netherlands. This study aims to give an update on the current status of EP in horses in the Netherlands using data from serological tests performed in the context of export and screening of 12,881 horses from 2015 through 2020. Horses were categorized as “Dutch,” “Foreign,” or “Unknown” based on microchip number. The overall seroprevalence of EP in Dutch horses was found to be 0.5% (95% exact CI [0.4–0.7]), compared to 1.9% (95% exact CI [1.3–2.6]) in horses in the category “Foreign” and 1.7% (95% exact CI [1.2–2.3]) in horses in the category “Unknown.” In addition, the seroprevalence per country in the category “Foreign” ranged from 0% (0.95% exact CI [0–2.8]) for Ireland to 6.0% (0.95% exact CI [3.5–9.3]) for Spain. In light of the reports on the seroprevalence during the outbreak of autochthonous EP reported in 2012 and on seroprevalences of EP in other countries in Northwestern Europe, the seroprevalence of EP in horses exported from the Netherlands is very low. However, the higher seroprevalence of EP in horses from abroad warrants the need for the monitoring of EP, as tick vectors are present in the Netherlands and the import of horses from endemic areas increases the chances of EP becoming more prevalent in the Netherlands.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Low seroprevalence of equine piroplasmosis in horses exported from the Netherlands between 2015 and 2021

Graham

Kalsbeek²,

Goot³

et al. 2022

Front. Vet. Sci.

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“…Regarding United Kingdom, two studies reported a 6.8% seroprevalence for B. caballi and T. equi (Joyner et al., 1981), and 5.9% for T. equi and 4.4% for B. caballi (Coultous et al., 2019). Another recent study reported a seroprevalence of 2.5 % for T. equi and 1 % for B. caballi in Ireland (Coultous et al., 2020). However, these studies were not included in our meta‐analysis due to lack of data regarding the clinical status of the equids and/or the exact origin of the samples tested.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…caballi in Ireland (Coultous et al, 2020). However, these studies were not included in our meta-analysis due to lack of data regarding the clinical status of the equids and/or the exact origin of the samples tested.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco‐epidemiology of equine piroplasmosis and its associated tick vectors in Europe: A systematic literature review and a meta‐analysis of prevalence

Nadal

Bonnet

Marsot

2021

Transbounding Emerging Dis

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When studying a vector-borne disease, an eco-epidemiological approach is vital for a comprehensive understanding of how the pathogen circulates amongst populations.Equine piroplasmosis (EP), a tick-borne disease caused by the protozoans Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, is endemic in the Mediterranean basin of Europe and causes both animal health and economic issues for the equine sector. With no vaccine available, defining the episystem of the disease can help to identify which components of the host-pathogen-vector-environment system to target to improve preventive measures. In this systematic literature review, we collected relevant data on the ecoepidemiology of EP in Europe. The 62 studies remaining after the selection procedure explored potential vectors, indicators of parasite circulation and putative risk factors of EP. Eight hard tick species were identified as potential vectors of one or both piroplasm species. Meta-analyses were then conducted on prevalence and seroprevalence data in equids in European countries, demonstrating an estimated seroprevalence of 30% and 8% and prevalence of 25% and 2% for T. equi and B. caballi, respectively. Finally, herd management practices and environmental risk factors analysed in studies showed no real consensus between studies, but revealed a general trend highlighting age and exposure to ticks as risk factors, and vaccination as a protective factor. Through this study, we point out that only a few studies have focused on disease management practices and even fewer have studied the effect of environmental parameters on equid infections. Further investigation in these areas is required to better characterize the eco-epidemiology of EP and risk factors associated with this disease.

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“…Past work has found that the Camargue is a hyperendemic area for EP, where the seroprevalence of T. equi and B. caballi infection in horses has been estimated at 58% and 12.9%, respectively (Guidi et al 2015 ). Only a few studies have used PCR to assess the piroplasms’ prevalence in horses and/or ticks in Europe, including in the Mediterranean Basin; to date, such work has been carried out in Spain, the UK, Ireland, Tunisia, and Israel (Ros-García et al 2013 ; Coultous et al 2019 , 2020 ; Camino et al 2021 ; Tirosh-Levy et al 2021 ). Two other studies conducted in Europe characterised the piroplasms’ prevalence in ticks sampled from different hosts, including horses, in Corsica (Grech-Angelini et al 2020 ) and Italy (Iori et al 2010 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular assessment of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi prevalence in horses and ticks on horses in southeastern France

et al. 2022

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Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi that is potentially emerging in non-endemic countries. We conducted a descriptive study to investigate EP prevalence and spatial distribution in an endemic region: the Camargue and the Plain of La Crau in France. In spring 2015 and 2016, we carried out sampling at stables (total n = 46) with a history of horses presenting chronic fever or weight loss. Overall, we collected blood from 632 horses, which were also inspected for ticks; these horses had been housed in the target stables for at least 1 year. We obtained 585 ticks from these horses and described land use around the stables. Real-time PCR was employed to assess T. equi and B. caballi prevalence in the horses and in the ticks found on the horses. For the horses, T. equi and B. caballi prevalence was 68.6% and 6.3%, respectively. For the ticks found on the horses, prevalence was 28.8% for T. equi and 0.85% for B. caballi. The most common tick species were, in order of frequency, Rhipicephalus bursa, R. sanguineus sl., Hyalomma marginatum, Haemaphysalis punctata, and Dermacentor sp. Horses bearing Rhipicephalus ticks occurred in wetter zones, closer to agricultural areas, permanent crops, and ditches, as well as in drier zones, in the more northern countryside. Compared to horses bearing R. bursa, horses bearing R. sanguineus sl. more frequently occurred near the Rhone River. Prevalence of T. equi in the ticks was as follows: Hyalomma marginatum (43%), Dermacentor sp. (40%), R. bursa (33%), R. sanguineus sl. (19%), and Haemaphysalis punctata (17%). In contrast, B. caballi only occurred in Dermacentor sp. (20%) and R. bursa (1%).

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Investigating the presence of equine piroplasmosis in Ireland

Cited by 7 publications

References 34 publications

Low seroprevalence of equine piroplasmosis in horses exported from the Netherlands between 2015 and 2021

Low seroprevalence of equine piroplasmosis in horses exported from the Netherlands between 2015 and 2021

Eco‐epidemiology of equine piroplasmosis and its associated tick vectors in Europe: A systematic literature review and a meta‐analysis of prevalence

Molecular assessment of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi prevalence in horses and ticks on horses in southeastern France

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