Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy.
SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
Parasitol Res. 2021 May;120(5):1811-1819. doi: 10.1007/s00436-021-07089-9. Epub 2021 Mar 16.
Besnoitiosis is an emerging parasitic disease of equids. Italy is one of the few European countries where the circulation of Besnoitia spp. antibodies was demonstrated. In this study, a case of clinical besnoitiosis in two donkeys in northern Italy is reported. The two animals were clinically examined. Serum and blood samples were analyzed for the detection of Besnoitia spp. antibodies and for hematology, biochemistry, and enzyme activity, respectively. ITS-1 PCR and sequencing were carried out on DNA extracted from skin biopsies. Clinical examination revealed numerous scleral pearls in eyes of both animals; alopecia and hyperkeratosis with skin nodules in the region of the neck, hind leg, and on the pinnae were detected. No cysts were evidenced by endoscopy in respiratory and genital tracts. Both animals resulted seropositive to Besnoitia spp. antibodies by Western Blot. Hematology evidenced light anemia, leukocytosis with eosinophilia, and lymphocytosis; biochemistry and enzyme activity revealed hypoalbuminemia with decreased albumin/globulin ratio and elevated alkaline phosphatase values. Parasitic DNA extracted from skin biopsies of both donkeys demonstrated a homology of 100% with Besnoitia spp. This first clinical case of besnoitiosis in two donkeys in Italy both confirms the circulation of Besnoitia spp. in Italian equids and demonstrates that the distribution area of equine besnoitiosis in Europe could be wider than expected. Further studies are needed to infer its relevance, in relation to seroprevalence and clinical disease, and to identify the species of Besnoitia infecting donkeys. Besnoitiosis may be a neglected disease of donkeys in Europe: an early and accurate diagnosis is fundamental to implement adequate control measures to prevent a "silent" spread of Besnoitia spp. infection in equids populations.
贝氏疏螺旋体病是一种新兴的马属动物寄生虫病。意大利是少数几个证明贝氏疏螺旋体属抗体循环的欧洲国家之一。在本研究中，报告了意大利北部的两例临床贝氏疏螺旋体病病例。对这两匹马进行了临床检查。血清和血液样本分别用于检测贝氏疏螺旋体属抗体，进行血液学、生物化学和酶活性分析。对从皮肤活检中提取的 DNA 进行了 ITS-1 PCR 和测序。临床检查发现两只动物的眼睛都有许多巩膜珍珠；颈部、后腿和耳廓区域都有脱毛和过度角化，伴有皮肤结节。呼吸道和生殖道内镜检查均未发现囊肿。Western Blot 检测结果显示，这两匹马均对贝氏疏螺旋体属抗体呈阳性。血液学检查显示轻度贫血、白细胞增多伴嗜酸性粒细胞增多和淋巴细胞增多；生物化学和酶活性检查显示低白蛋白血症，白蛋白/球蛋白比值降低，碱性磷酸酶值升高。从两只驴的皮肤活检中提取的寄生虫 DNA 与贝氏疏螺旋体属的同源性为 100%。这是意大利两例驴贝氏疏螺旋体病的首例临床病例，既证实了贝氏疏螺旋体属在意大利马属动物中的循环，也证明了欧洲马属动物贝氏疏螺旋体病的分布范围可能比预期的更广。需要进一步的研究来推断其相关性，包括血清阳性率和临床疾病，并确定感染驴的贝氏疏螺旋体属的种。贝氏疏螺旋体病可能是欧洲驴的一种被忽视的疾病：早期和准确的诊断对于实施适当的控制措施以防止贝氏疏螺旋体属感染在马属动物种群中“无声”传播至关重要。
