Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
A case of transplacental transmission of Theileria equi in a foal in Trinidad.
- Journal:
- Veterinary parasitology
- Year:
- 2011
- Authors:
- Georges, Karla C et al.
- Affiliation:
- School of Veterinary Medicine
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In Trinidad, a thoroughbred foal was diagnosed with equine piroplasmosis, a disease caused by the parasite Theileria equi, just 10 hours after being born. The foal had a very high level of the parasite in its blood, which was confirmed through testing. Although the mother mare tested negative for the parasite using one method, another test showed she was positive, indicating she likely passed the infection to her foal during pregnancy. It's important to note that severe jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) in newborn foals can sometimes be confused with another condition, so testing for equine piroplasmosis is recommended in these cases. The treatment and management of this condition were not detailed, but the findings highlight the need for careful diagnosis in foals with jaundice.
Abstract
Equine piroplasmosis due to Theileria equi and Babesia caballi is endemic in Trinidad. A case of equine piroplasmosis due to T. equi was diagnosed in a thoroughbred foal at 10h post-partum. A high parasitaemia (63%) of piroplasms was observed in a Wright-Giemsa(®) stained thin blood smear from the foal. In addition, the 18S rRNA gene for Babesia/Theileria was amplified from DNA extracted from the blood of the foal and the mare. Amplified products were subjected to a reverse line blot hybridization assay (RLB), which confirmed the presence of T. equi DNA in the foal. The mare was negative by RLB but was positive for T. equi using a nested PCR and sequence analysis. In areas where equine piroplasmosis is endemic, severe jaundice in a post-partum foal may be easily misdiagnosed as neonatal isoerythrolysis. Foals with post-partum jaundice should be screened for equine piroplasmosis, which may be confirmed using molecular methods if available.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21051152/