Prevalence of Antibodies to Leishmania Infantum and Toxoplasma Gondii in Horses from the North of Portugal

Overview

Journal Parasit Vectors

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Parasitology
Tropical Medicine

Date 2013 Jun 19

PMID 23773870

Citations 15

Authors

Ana Patricia Lopes

Susana Sousa

J P Dubey

Ana J Ribeiro

Ricardo Silvestre

Mario Cotovio

Henk D F H Schallig

Luis Cardoso

Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii are protozoa with zoonotic and economic importance. Prevalences of antibodies to these agents were assessed in 173 horses from the north of Portugal.

Findings: Antibodies to L. infantum were detected by the direct agglutination test (DAT); seven (4.0%) horses were seropositive with DAT titres of 200 (n = 5), 800 (n = 1) and ≥ 1600 (n = 1). Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT); 23 (13.3%) horses were seropositive with MAT titres of 20 (n = 13), 40 (n = 5), 80 (n = 3) and ≥ 160 (n = 2). No statistical differences were found among equine categories of gender (female, male and gelding), age (1.5-6, 7-12 and 13-30 years), type of housing (indoors and mixed/outdoors), ability (recreation, farming and sports) and clinical status (apparently healthy and sick) for both agents.

Conclusions: Horses are exposed to and may be infected with L. infantum and T. gondii in the north of Portugal.

Citing Articles

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