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OJVRTM
Online Journal of
Veterinary Research©
Volume 19(3):
148-154, 2015
Detection of piroplasmosis in asymptomatic
horses by whole and splenic blood PCR or standard splenic, venous and
peripheral blood smears.
Lívia A Fonseca
DVM1, André RC Barreto-Vianna MS1, Roberta F Godoy PhD2,
Eduardo MM Lima PhD1*.
Fonseca LA, Barreto-Vianna
ARC, Godoy RF, Lima EMM., Detection of piroplasmosis
in asymptomatic horses by whole and splenic blood PCR or standard splenic,
venous and peripheral blood smears., Onl J Vet Res., 19(3): 148-154, 2015. In horses, piroplasmosis reduces performance causing cramps, abortion,
anemia and even death. Identification of Theileria equi (TE) and Babesia caballi (BC) by microscopy is a standard
diagnostic test but in asymptomatic horses parasites are rarely found. We
describe results from 15 asymptomatic healthy horses of different breeds and
ages for piroplasmosis by PCR of peripheral and
splenic blood and standard splenic and peripheral, venous blood smears. Ear lobe blood smears from all horses were
negative to BC or TE. Only one splenic smear was positive to BC. In contrast,
using whole or splenic blood PCR tests, 3 horses were positive for TE and BC but not with the splenic test, another
3 were positive to BC and TE using both tests, 4 were positive for BC and TE
but only with the splenic test, 1 was positive for BC in the whole-blood test, but to both protozoa with the splenic test,
2 were negative for both protozoa, 1 was positive for BC and TE in the
whole-blood test but positive only for TE
in the splenic test and finally one horse was positive for Theileria equi in both
PCR tests. Using whole-blood multiplex
PCR, 53.33% of horses were positive to Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, but using splenic blood multiplex PCR 66.66% were
positive to Theileria equi and
53.33% to Babesia caballi.
Divergence of results suggests a need to use 2 or more tests for equine piroplasmosis to avoid false diagnoses.
Keywords: Theileria equi., Babesia
caballi, diagnosis, horse
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