Peris María Paz, Serrano María, Romero Antonio, García Mirta, Halaihel Nabil, Castillo Juan Antonio, Gracia María Jesús
Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
Vet Res Commun. 2025 Mar 24;49(3):151. doi: 10.1007/s11259-025-10722-y.
Equine piroplasmosis (EP), a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, is of significant concern due to its impact on the international horse trade. According to standards established by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), horses imported from EP-endemic regions must have a certificate confirming negative serological and molecular test results. In EP-free countries, only seronegative horses are allowed to enter. This entails economic losses for endemic regions such as Spain. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of B. caballi and T. equi in horses from northern Spain and to compare indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFAT) with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) regarding diagnostic accuracy. In March 2019, blood samples were collected from 50 horses at a slaughterhouse in Zaragoza. The horses originated from meat farms in the Pyrenees and Cantabrian coastal regions, including northern Cantabria, the Basque Country, and Navarre. Serological results revealed a prevalence of 50% for B. caballi, 30% for T. equi, and 16% for mixed infections, with an overall EP prevalence of 64%. PCR results confirmed 22% positive for B. caballi, 42% for T. equi, and 16% for both parasites in one animal, showing an overall EP prevalence of 54%. Our study underscores the critical need for combining serological and molecular diagnostic tests to accurately identify carriers and active infections, with the goal of ensuring safe animal movement and controlling EP transmission.
马焦虫病（EP）是一种由马巴贝斯虫和马泰勒虫引起的蜱传疾病，因其对国际马匹贸易的影响而备受关注。根据世界动物卫生组织（WOAH）制定的标准，从马焦虫病流行地区进口的马匹必须有一份确认血清学和分子检测结果为阴性的证书。在无马焦虫病的国家，只允许血清学阴性的马匹入境。这给西班牙等流行地区带来了经济损失。我们的研究旨在评估西班牙北部马匹中马巴贝斯虫和马泰勒虫的流行情况，并比较间接荧光抗体试验（IFAT）和聚合酶链反应（PCR）在诊断准确性方面的差异。2019年3月，在萨拉戈萨的一家屠宰场从50匹马身上采集了血样。这些马来自比利牛斯山脉和坎塔布里亚沿海地区的肉类养殖场，包括坎塔布里亚北部、巴斯克地区和纳瓦拉。血清学结果显示，马巴贝斯虫的流行率为50%，马泰勒虫为30%，混合感染为16%，马焦虫病的总体流行率为64%。PCR结果证实，马巴贝斯虫阳性率为22%，马泰勒虫为42%，有一种动物两种寄生虫均为阳性，为16%，马焦虫病的总体流行率为54%。我们的研究强调了结合血清学和分子诊断测试以准确识别携带者和活动性感染的迫切需要，目的是确保动物的安全流动并控制马焦虫病的传播。
