Seroprevalence of Anti-Theileria equi Antibodies in Horses from Three Geographically Distinct Areas of Romania

Abstract

Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an endemic tick-borne disease found in most countries around the world. It affects all species of Equidae, and it is caused by Theileria equi, Babesia caballi and T. haneyi. The research herein is the second study on the prevalence of piroplasms in Romania conducted in the past two decades. The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of anti-Theileria equi antibodies and the geographical distribution of this disease in the southwest, west, and northwest regions of Romania in order to obtain a more thorough understanding of the parasitological status of horses in this country. This study included 522 apparently healthy, mixed-breed horses from three different counties. The serum samples were analysed using the cELISA Theileria equi Antibody Test Kit. The overall seroprevalence rate was 12.84%. From the total number of positive horses, 13.96% were females and 11.21% were males. Based on the distribution of positive cases into age groups, the following values were obtained: 0–60 months: 16.26%, 60–180 months: 10.03%, and >180 months: 15.83%. There was no statistically significant difference between samples, based on age or gender. The positivity percentage in the localities included in the study ranged from 8.33 to 100%. In the population under study, the seroprevalence rate was high, indicating a possible exposure risk in this area of Romania, which could have severe effects on equids in the case of clinical manifestations of the disease. EP represents a serious threat for equine health in Romania; therefore, close and continuous monitoring of the situation is required.

Molecular and Serological Detection of Vector-Borne Pathogens Responsible for Equine Piroplasmosis in Europe between 2008 and 2021

“…equi have been reported in horses in the Netherlands (0.0%/1.6%) [16], Poland (-/7.2%) [17], Hungary (0.0%/15.1%) [18], Romania (2.2%/20.3%) [19], the central Balkans (2.1%/22.5%) [20], Croatia (3.6%/13.2%) [21], and Italy (10.3%/70.3%) [22]. There have also been reports of seropositive horses in central Germany (0.3%/6.1%) [23], Switzerland (2.9%/5.8%) [24], the Netherlands (0.2%/0.3%) [25], the Czech Republic (0.4%/1.1%) [26], the United Kingdom (4.4%/5.9%) [27], Ireland (1.5%/2.5%) [28], Greece (1.1%/9.2%) [29], Italy (8.9%/39.8) [22], Spain (6.5%/53.7%) [30], Romania (-/12.8%) [31], and France (13.2%/9.5%) [32]. Furthermore, there have been rare reports of autochthonous infections with T. equi in two horses in the Netherlands [16], one horse in Austria [33], and in Germany for one [34] as well as three horses [33].…”

Using Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) to Compare Premature Mortality between Romanian Counties to Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in 2020 and 2021

“…In addition, comparing PYLL between counties in Romania can help in understanding the impact of certain health issues and diseases on different regions. For example, studies have shown variations in the prevalence of mosquito-borne pathogens and zoonotic diseases in different regions of Romania [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. By comparing PYLL, it becomes possible to assess the impact of these diseases on premature mortality and prioritize public health measures accordingly.…”

Development of a Real-Time Quantitative PCR Based on a TaqMan-MGB Probe for the Rapid Detection of Theileria haneyi

“…Data from The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations suggests that approximately 90% of the global horse population resides in EP-endemic areas [3]. EP is common in subtropical and tropical areas of the world and is known to be endemic in several countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe [4][5][6]. The disease can cause mild subclinical to severe acute clinical signs.…”