Serologic response of Babesia equi-infected horses as measured by complement-fixation and indirect fluorescent antibody tests.

Both the complement-fixation test (CFT) and the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) were conducted on weekly serum samples from nine Arab geldings for 28 days before and 256 days after their exposure to Babesia equi of European origin. On an average the IFAT became positive 8 days before the CFT and showed higher relative serum titer increases. Both test procedures successfully detected infection and neither showed an appreciable drop in titer during this time frame, with the exception of the CFT, which showed a transient drop immediately following treatment with imidocarb. A test conducted 540 days after infection showed four of the eight surviving, and presumably infected, horses to be negative on CFT, where as all eight were still positive on IFAT. Comparisons made with the IFAT, on horse sera from B. equi infection of both European and North American origin, utilizing homologous and heterologous antigens, showed significantly higher titers with homologous antigens.