Laus Fulvio, Veronesi Fabrizia, Passamonti Fabrizio, Paggi Emanuele, Cerquetella Matteo, Hyatt Doreene, Tesei Beniamino, Fioretti Daniela Piergili
School of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica (MC), Italy.
J Vet Med Sci. 2013;75(6):715-20. doi: 10.1292/jvms.12-0449. Epub 2013 Jan 18.
In order to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne diseases, equine piroplasmosis, equine granulocytic anaplasmosis and Lyme borreliosis in Central Italy, blood samples from 300 horses were analyzed for the presence of antibodies against Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi using the IFAT. The blood samples were also subjected to PCR assays in order to detect pathogen DNA. A total of 78 (26.0%) and 123 (41.0%) horses were found to be seropositive for B. caballi and T. equi, respectively, while 41 (13. 4%) and 21 (7.0%) horses were, respectively, seropositive for A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi. Seropositivity for more than one agent was detected in 76 horses using IFAT. The most common association observed was between T. equi and B. caballi (14.7%). In addition, 54 horses (18.0%) were found to be positive for one or more tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) using PCR testing. Among these, 28 (9.3%) harbored single infections, while 26 (8.7%) were found to be co-infected with two or more pathogens. The correlation (K value) between IFAT and PCR results was 0.32 for T. equi, 0.34 for B. caballi, 0.62 for B. burgdorferi and 0.48 for A. phagocytophilum, reflecting an unprecedented degree of multiple exposures to TBPs in horses.
为调查意大利中部蜱传疾病、马焦虫病、马粒细胞无形体病和莱姆病的流行情况，采用间接荧光抗体试验（IFAT）对300匹马的血液样本进行分析，检测抗马巴贝斯虫、马泰勒虫、嗜吞噬细胞无形体和伯氏疏螺旋体抗体的存在情况。血液样本还进行了聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测以检测病原体DNA。分别有78匹（26.0%）和123匹（41.0%）马被发现抗马巴贝斯虫和抗马泰勒虫血清学阳性，而分别有41匹（13.4%）和21匹（7.0%）马抗嗜吞噬细胞无形体和抗伯氏疏螺旋体血清学阳性。使用IFAT在76匹马中检测到对一种以上病原体血清学阳性。观察到的最常见关联是马泰勒虫和马巴贝斯虫之间（14.7%）。此外，使用PCR检测发现54匹马（18.0%）对一种或多种蜱传病原体（TBP）呈阳性。其中，28匹（9.3%）为单一感染，而26匹（8.7%）被发现同时感染两种或更多种病原体。嗜吞噬细胞无形体的IFAT和PCR结果之间的相关性（K值）为0.32，马巴贝斯虫为0.34，伯氏疏螺旋体为0.62，嗜吞噬细胞无形体为0.48，这反映出马匹前所未有地多次接触TBP。
