Prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in horses belonging to resource-poor farmers in the north-eastern Free State Province, South Africa

Motloang, M.Y.; Thekisoe, O.M.M.; Alhassan, A.; Bakheit, M.; Motheo, M.P.; Masangane, F.E.S.; Thibedi, M.I.; Inoue, N.; Igarashi, I.; Sugimoto, C.; Mbati, P.A.

Prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in horses belonging to resource-poor farmers in the north-eastern Free State Province, South Africa

2008

Motloang, M.Y.(University of the Free State ,ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute) | Thekisoe, O.M.M.(Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases) | Alhassan, A.(Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases) | Bakheit, M.(University of the Free State) | Motheo, M.P.(University of the Free State) | Masangane, F.E.S.(University of the Free State) | Thibedi, M.I.(University of the Free State) | Inoue, N.(Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases) | Igarashi, I.(Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases) | Sugimoto, C.(Hokkaido University Center for Zoonosis Control) | Mbati, P.A.(University of the Free State)

The prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in the north-eastern Free State Province of South Africa was determined by examination of thin and thick Giemsa-stained blood smears, IFAT and PCR. No parasites were detected by microscopy from any blood samples collected at five study sites, Qwaqwa, Kestell, Harrismith, Vrede and Warden. Of the tested serum samples, 28/29 (96.5 %), 20/21 (95.2 %) and 42/42 (100 %) were positive by IFAT for T. equi infections in Harrismith, Kestell and Qwaqwa, respectively, and 5/29 (17.2 %>), 13/21 (61.9 %>) and 30/42 (71.4 %>) were sero-positive for B. caballi infections in Harrismith, Kestell and Qwaqwa, respectively. All DNA samples from the study sites were negative for B. caballi infections by PCR, but five samples, two from each of Kestell and Warden and one from Vrede, were PCR positive for T. equi infections. The high prevalence of antibodies against T. equi and B. caballi in the sampled horses indicates that the animals had been exposed to T. equi and B. caballi infections but the absence of parasitaemia and very low number of positive PCR samples, however, imply that T. equi and B. caballi are endemically stable in the north-eastern Free State Province.

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