Dipartimento di Scienze Biopatologiche ed Igiene delle Produzioni Animali e Alimentari, Università di Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy.
Vet J. 2010 Jun;184(3):346-50. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.03.021. Epub 2009 Apr 24.
Babesia caballi and Theileria equi are the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis. In this preliminary epidemiological study, 412 horses reared in central and northern Italy were sampled and three diagnostic methods compared, namely, the microscopy, the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and a PCR. Possible risk factors (such as area, season, breed, activity, sex, age, and grazing) associated with serological positivity were evaluated. A seroprevalence of 68.4% was found: 12.4% of the animals had anti-T. equi antibodies, 17.9% anti-B. caballi antibodies and 38.1% had antibodies against both species. Of the seropositive samples, 3.1% and 9.4% were positive to microscopy and PCR, respectively; 31.5% of the horses were IFAT-negative but 1.4% and 2.4% of the corresponding blood samples were positive to microscopy and PCR, respectively. Molecular techniques revealed that the species present were closely related to T. equi, Theileria sergenti, Theileria buffeli and the Babesia microti-like piroplasm provisionally named Theileria annae. Grazing was found to be a pronounced risk factor for equine piroplasmosis.
马巴贝斯虫和马泰勒虫是马梨形虫病的病原体。在这项初步的流行病学研究中，对意大利中部和北部的 412 匹马进行了采样，并比较了三种诊断方法，即显微镜检查、间接荧光抗体试验（IFAT）和 PCR。评估了与血清阳性相关的可能风险因素（如地区、季节、品种、活动、性别、年龄和放牧）。发现血清阳性率为 68.4%：12.4%的动物具有抗马泰勒虫抗体，17.9%具有抗马巴贝斯虫抗体，38.1%同时具有两种抗体。在血清阳性样本中，分别有 3.1%和 9.4%通过显微镜检查和 PCR 呈阳性；31.5%的马 IFAT 呈阴性，但 1.4%和 2.4%的相应血液样本通过显微镜检查和 PCR 呈阳性，分别。分子技术表明，存在的物种与马泰勒虫、瑟氏泰勒虫、布氏泰勒虫和巴贝斯微孢子虫密切相关，暂命名为安娜泰勒虫。放牧被认为是马梨形虫病的一个显著风险因素。
