Idoko Idoko S, Edeh Richard E, Adamu Andrew M, Machunga-Mambula Salamatu, Okubanjo Oluyinka O, Balogun Emmanuel O, Adamu Sani, Johnson Wendell, Kappmeyer Lowell, Mousel Michelle, Ueti Massaro W
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Gwagwalada 902101, Nigeria.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Jos 930222, Nigeria.
Pathogens. 2021 Apr 23;10(5):508. doi: 10.3390/pathogens10050508.
Equine piroplasmosis, an economically important disease of equids caused by the hemoprotozoan parasites , , and , has a worldwide distribution. These parasites are transmitted by ixodid ticks. To improve the detection of horses in Nigeria exposed to piroplasm parasites, 72 horses with variable clinical signs of piroplasmosis were sampled from Northwest and Northcentral Nigeria and tested by nPCR and cELISA. Blood and serum samples were collected from each horse via jugular venesection. Individually, nPCR or cELISA failed to identify all horses exposed to piroplasms. A combination of species-specific nPCR and the OIE-approved and cELISAs enhanced the detection of horses exposed to parasites. The results also demonstrated horses showing abnormal hematology were positive for only except for one sample that was coinfected with and . We also identified ticks collected from some of the horses, with being the most prevalent. This study shows that a larger proportion of horses in the sample set were exposed to than or . Additionally, ticks that have been previously reported as potential vectors for these parasites were found to have infested sampled horses. Further studies are needed to investigate which tick species are competent vectors for spp. and in Nigeria.
马焦虫病是一种由血液原虫寄生虫巴贝斯虫属、泰勒虫属和驽巴贝斯虫引起的对马科动物具有重要经济影响的疾病，在全球范围内均有分布。这些寄生虫通过硬蜱传播。为了提高对尼日利亚接触焦虫寄生虫的马匹的检测能力，从尼日利亚西北部和中北部采集了72匹有不同马焦虫病临床症状的马匹样本，并通过巢式聚合酶链反应（nPCR）和竞争酶联免疫吸附测定（cELISA）进行检测。通过颈静脉放血从每匹马采集血液和血清样本。单独使用nPCR或cELISA无法识别所有接触焦虫的马匹。物种特异性nPCR与世界动物卫生组织（OIE）批准的cELISA相结合，提高了对接触寄生虫马匹的检测能力。结果还表明，除了一份同时感染了驽巴贝斯虫和马巴贝斯虫的样本外，血液学异常的马匹仅对驽巴贝斯虫呈阳性。我们还鉴定了从部分马匹身上采集的蜱虫，其中微小牛蜱最为常见。这项研究表明，样本集中接触驽巴贝斯虫的马匹比例高于接触马巴贝斯虫或双芽巴贝斯虫的马匹。此外，先前报告为这些寄生虫潜在传播媒介的蜱虫被发现感染了采样的马匹。需要进一步研究以调查在尼日利亚哪些蜱虫种类是巴贝斯虫属和泰勒虫属的有效传播媒介。
