Serological and Molecular Detection of Babesia Caballi and Theileria Equi in Mexico: A Prospective Study

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2022 Mar 8

PMID 35259206

Authors

Elizabeth Salinas-Estrella

Massaro W Ueti

Vladislav A Lobanov

Evelio Castillo-Payro

Amelia Lizcano-Mata

Cesar Badilla

Francisco Martinez-Ibanez

Juan Mosqueda

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Equine piroplasmosis is a disease of horses, mules and donkeys, caused by the hemoprotozoans Babesia caballi and Theileria equi and transmitted by ticks of tropical and subtropical regions. Because the clinical signs are not specific, the diagnosis of equine piroplasmosis is difficult. In Mexico, where the environmental factors are conducive to the persistence of these pathogens, there is a lack of molecular studies to evaluate the occurrence of both parasites in horses. In the present study, matching serum and whole blood samples were obtained from 269 horses residing in 24 locations with tropical or subtropical climate and the presence of ticks. Testing of serum samples by ELISA demonstrated 55.7% seroprevalence of B. caballi and 68.4% prevalence of antibodies to T. equi. Blood samples analyzed with nPCR test were 7.8% positive to B. caballi and 78.8% positive to T. equi, while a duplex qPCR showed 15.24% positive samples to B. caballi and 59.11% to T. equi. From these results, 27 samples were sequenced for T. equi and 13 for B. caballi, confirming the presence of both horse parasites that cause equine piroplasmosis and suggesting that they are widespread in Mexico. This is the first study confirming the presence of B. caballi and T. equi in Mexico using both serological and molecular diagnostic methods. This study shows a high incidence of exposure to the etiological agents of equine piroplasmosis in horses in the studied areas.

Citing Articles

Prevalence of Theileria Equi and Babesia Caballi and Associated Hemato-Biochemical Changes in Racing Horses in Erbil Province, Iraq.

Aziz K, Barwary L, Issa N, Abdulwahid M Acta Parasitol. 2025; 70(1):38.

PMID: 39853481 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-024-00987-9.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal and blood parasites in horses of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand.

Phetkarl T, Fungwithaya P, Lewchalermvong K, Sontigun N Vet World. 2025; 17(11):2460-2468.

PMID: 39829659 PMC: 11736380. DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.2460-2468.

Molecular Investigations of from Clinically Healthy Horses in Southwestern Romania.

Giubega S, Ilie M, Morariu S, Imre M, Dreghiciu C, Rugea T Vet Sci. 2024; 11(12).

PMID: 39728940 PMC: 11680348. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11120600.

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

Giubega S, Ilie M, Luca I, Florea T, Dreghiciu C, Oprescu I Pathogens. 2022; 11(6).

PMID: 35745523 PMC: 9229635. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11060669.

References

Alhassan A, Iseki H, Kim C, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I . Comparison of polymerase chain reaction methods for the detection of Theileria equi infection using whole blood compared with pre-extracted DNA samples as PCR templates. Trop Anim Health Prod. 2007; 39(5):369-74. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-007-9025-1. View

Scoles G, Ueti M . Vector ecology of equine piroplasmosis. Annu Rev Entomol. 2015; 60:561-80. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-010814-021110. View

Ueti M, Palmer G, Kappmeyer L, Statdfield M, Scoles G, Knowles D . Ability of the vector tick Boophilus microplus to acquire and transmit Babesia equi following feeding on chronically infected horses with low-level parasitemia. J Clin Microbiol. 2005; 43(8):3755-9. PMC: 1233951. DOI: 10.1128/JCM.43.8.3755-3759.2005. View

Nicolaiewsky T, Richter M, Lunge V, Cunha C, Delagostin O, Ikuta N . Detection of Babesia equi (Laveran, 1901) by nested polymerase chain reaction. Vet Parasitol. 2001; 101(1):9-21. DOI: 10.1016/s0304-4017(01)00471-x. View

Bashiruddin J, Camma C, Rebelo E . Molecular detection of Babesia equi and Babesia caballi in horse blood by PCR amplification of part of the 16S rRNA gene. Vet Parasitol. 1999; 84(1-2):75-83. DOI: 10.1016/s0304-4017(99)00049-7. View

Mehlhorn H, Schein E . Redescription of Babesia equi Laveran, 1901 as Theileria equi Mehlhorn, Schein 1998. Parasitol Res. 1998; 84(6):467-75. DOI: 10.1007/s004360050431. View

Cantu-Martinez M, Segura-Correa J, Silva-Paez M, Avalos-Ramirez R, Wagner G . Prevalence of antibodies to Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses from northeastern Mexico. J Parasitol. 2012; 98(4):869-70. DOI: 10.1645/GE-3064.1. View

Kappmeyer L, Perryman L, Hines S, Baszler T, KATZ J, Hennager S . Detection of equine antibodies to babesia caballi by recombinant B. caballi rhoptry-associated protein 1 in a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. J Clin Microbiol. 1999; 37(7):2285-90. PMC: 85139. DOI: 10.1128/JCM.37.7.2285-2290.1999. View

Ueti M, Mealey R, Kappmeyer L, White S, Kumpula-McWhirter N, Pelzel A . Re-emergence of the apicomplexan Theileria equi in the United States: elimination of persistent infection and transmission risk. PLoS One. 2012; 7(9):e44713. PMC: 3435266. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044713. View

10.

Kappmeyer L, Thiagarajan M, Herndon D, Ramsay J, Caler E, Djikeng A . Comparative genomic analysis and phylogenetic position of Theileria equi. BMC Genomics. 2012; 13:603. PMC: 3505731. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-603. View

11.

de Waal D . Equine piroplasmosis: a review. Br Vet J. 1992; 148(1):6-14. DOI: 10.1016/0007-1935(92)90061-5. View

12.

Schwint O, Knowles D, Ueti M, Kappmeyer L, Scoles G . Transmission of Babesia caballi by Dermacentor nitens (Acari: Ixodidae) is restricted to one generation in the absence of alimentary reinfection on a susceptible equine host. J Med Entomol. 2008; 45(6):1152-5. DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585(2008)45[1152:tobcbd]2.0.co;2. View

13.

Garcia-Bocanegra I, Arenas-Montes A, Hernandez E, Adaszek L, Carbonero A, Almeria S . Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Babesia caballi and Theileria equi infection in equids. Vet J. 2012; 195(2):172-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.06.012. View

14.

Knowles Jr D, Perryman L, Goff W, Miller C, Harrington R, GORHAM J . A monoclonal antibody defines a geographically conserved surface protein epitope of Babesia equi merozoites. Infect Immun. 1991; 59(7):2412-7. PMC: 258026. DOI: 10.1128/iai.59.7.2412-2417.1991. View

15.

Rosales R, Rangel-Rivas A, Escalona A, Jordan L, Gonzatti M, Aso P . Detection of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in Venezuelan horses using Competitive-Inhibition ELISA and PCR. Vet Parasitol. 2013; 196(1-2):37-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.02.004. View

16.

Ueti M, Palmer G, Kappmeyer L, Scoles G, Knowles D . Expression of equi merozoite antigen 2 during development of Babesia equi in the midgut and salivary gland of the vector tick Boophilus microplus. J Clin Microbiol. 2003; 41(12):5803-9. PMC: 308990. DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.12.5803-5809.2003. View

17.

Grause J, Ueti M, Nelson J, Knowles D, Kappmeyer L, Bunn T . Efficacy of imidocarb dipropionate in eliminating Theileria equi from experimentally infected horses. Vet J. 2012; 196(3):541-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.10.025. View

18.

Mahmoud M, Abu El-Ezz N, Abdel-Shafy S, Nassar S, El Namaky A, Khalil W . Assessment of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in equine populations in Egypt by molecular, serological and hematological approaches. Parasit Vectors. 2016; 9:260. PMC: 4857240. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1539-9. View

19.

Ayala-Valdovinos M, Lemus-Flores C, Galindo-Garcia J, Banuelos-Pineda J, Rodriguez-Carpena J, Sanchez-Chipres D . Diagnosis and prevalence of Theileria equi horses in western Mexico by nested PCR. Parasitol Int. 2016; 66(1):821-824. DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2016.09.011. View

20.

Alhassan A, Pumidonming W, Okamura M, Hirata H, Battsetseg B, Fujisaki K . Development of a single-round and multiplex PCR method for the simultaneous detection of Babesia caballi and Babesia equi in horse blood. Vet Parasitol. 2005; 129(1-2):43-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2004.12.018. View