Survey of Zoonotic and Non-zoonotic Vector-Borne Pathogens in Military Horses in Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract

Vector-borne diseases of zoonotic and/or veterinary relevance have been increasingly reported in horses globally, although data regarding working and military horses is lacking. Portuguese military horses may constitute a risk group for these pathogens, as they frequently work outdoors in various regions of the country. This study included 101 apparently healthy horses belonging to the Portuguese National Republican Guard. Blood samples were analyzed to determine the presence and prevalence of piroplasms, Anaplasmataceae, Rickettsia spp., and filarioid helminths. Overall 32.7% of the horses gave positive results for Theileria equi. Two genotypes of T. equi were verified. No positive results were recorded for Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., filarioid helminthes, and Babesia caballi. As equine piroplasmosis is a severe infectious tick-borne disease responsible for significant losses in equine production and with numerous impacts in the international movement of horses, adequate treatment, and preventive measures are needed to reduce exposure to vectors and future infections.

Prevalence of zoonotic and non-zoonotic Rickettsia in horses: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Screening by titles and abstracts left 55 studies for full-text review. An assessment of full texts found 27 studies that complied with all eligibility criteria [ 11 , 13 , 15 , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] ]. PRISMA flow diagram summarises the study selection process ( Fig.…”

“…[ 29 ] 2010 Brazil, IFA R. rickettsii 75 75 100.00 Southern Brazil R. parkeri Fuehrer H et al. [ 30 ] 2020 Portugal, Lisbon IFAT Rickettsia helvetica 479 63 13.15 Gazeta G et al. [ 31 ] 2009 Brazil, PCR Rickettsia spp.…”

Helminths and their management in Swiss Army horses: differences between riding horses and pack horses evidence the need of improvement

“…This constant relocation of horses for military use differs from procedures in other countries where horses are constantly kept in military custody. For example, in Brazil, 9 Italy 52 and Portugal, 12 military horses are always kept on military compounds and their management is therefore more uniform. Thus, there is potential for transmission of helminth infections on Swiss military compounds, although faeces removal takes place once a week.…”