Selcuk University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Konya, Turkey.
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2021 Sep;12(5):101784. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101784. Epub 2021 Jul 12.
Common vector-borne diseases of horses include equine piroplasmosis (EP) caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, and equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Equine piroplasmosis leads to severe health issues in horses and restrictions on the movement of horses internationally. Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes an acute febrile illness in horses and is also of zoonotic importance. In the present study, blood samples were collected from 152 Turkish racehorses from three different provinces (İzmir, Gaziantep, and Konya) of Turkey to investigate the prevalence of EP and EGA. Standard and nested polymerase chain reactions were performed to identify equine piroplasms and A. phagocytophilum, respectively. PCR primers targeting Babesia spp. 18S rRNA, B. caballi BC48, T. equi EMA-1, and A. phagocytophilum 16S rRNA genes were used for molecular diagnosis. Following the cloning and subsequent sequencing of PCR-positive samples, a total of 15 (9.9%) horses were found to be infected with at least one pathogen. Theileria equi and A. phagocytophilum were found in 3.3% (5/152) and 6.6% (10/152) of the samples, respectively. Although B. caballi specimens were not detected in any of the samples, a positive signal was detected for the Babesia genus-specific 18S rRNA PCR. Subsequent sequencing of this signal revealed 100% identity to Babesia ovis. This is the first detection of B. ovis DNA in racehorses in Turkey to the best of our knowledge. Additionally, this study also reports the first molecular identification of A. phagocytophilum in Turkish racehorses. Based on this report, it is recommended that future epidemiological studies on horses also take B. ovis, a parasite usually found in sheep, into consideration and that further detailed studies be conducted to unravel the transmission pathways and potential clinical effects of B. ovis in horses.
马的常见虫媒病包括由马巴贝斯虫（Babesia caballi）和马泰勒虫（Theileria equi）引起的马边虫病，以及由嗜吞噬细胞无形体（Anaplasma phagocytophilum）引起的马粒细胞埃立克体病。马边虫病会导致马匹严重的健康问题，并限制马匹在国际间的移动。嗜吞噬细胞无形体引起马匹急性发热疾病，也具有动物传染病的重要性。在本研究中，从土耳其三个不同省份（伊兹密尔、加济安泰普和科尼亚）采集了 152 匹土耳其赛马的血液样本，以调查马边虫病和马粒细胞埃立克体病的流行情况。分别进行了标准和巢式聚合酶链反应，以鉴定马边虫和嗜吞噬细胞无形体。针对巴贝斯虫属 18S rRNA、马巴贝斯虫 BC48、马泰勒虫 EMA-1 和嗜吞噬细胞无形体 16S rRNA 基因的 PCR 引物用于分子诊断。对 PCR 阳性样本进行克隆和随后的测序后，发现共有 15 匹（9.9%）马至少感染了一种病原体。在 3.3%（5/152）和 6.6%（10/152）的样本中分别发现了马泰勒虫和嗜吞噬细胞无形体。虽然在任何样本中都未检测到马巴贝斯虫，但检测到了巴贝斯虫属特异性 18S rRNA PCR 的阳性信号。对该信号的后续测序显示与绵羊巴贝斯虫 100%同源。据我们所知，这是首次在土耳其的赛马中检测到绵羊巴贝斯虫 DNA。此外，本研究还首次报道了土耳其赛马中嗜吞噬细胞无形体的分子鉴定。基于此报告，建议未来对马的流行病学研究也考虑到通常在绵羊中发现的寄生虫绵羊巴贝斯虫，并进一步进行详细研究，以揭示绵羊巴贝斯虫在马中的传播途径和潜在临床影响。
