Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Equine trypanosomosis in central and western Punjab: prevalence, haemato-biochemical response and associated risk factors.
- Journal:
- Acta tropica
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Sumbria, Deepak et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology · India
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a study conducted in central and western Punjab, India, researchers looked at the presence of a parasite called Trypanosoma evansi in horses and ponies, which can cause a disease known as equine trypanosomosis. They tested 169 blood samples and found that about 9.5% of the horses were positive for the parasite, with a higher rate in the western region compared to the central area. The tests used included a card agglutination test and two types of PCR tests, which confirmed the presence of the parasite in some cases. The study also noted that female horses, especially those from less organized farms, were at a greater risk of being infected. Overall, the findings suggest that the parasite is present in the horse population in this region, and the tests used were effective in detecting it.
Abstract
The detection of Trypanosoma evansi in blood is intricate, primarily in chronic stage of infection, as the parasitaemia is often low and fluctuating. The climatic conditions of the target area of Punjab (a province of India with a total of 34,000 horses and ponies used for sports and transport) are conducive for the parasite propagation. The objective of present investigation was to assess the prevalence of T. evansi in central and western Punjab by PCR and card agglutination test (CATT/T. evansi) in relation to clinico-haematobiochemical alterations and risk factors associated with latent trypanosomosis. A total of 169 equine blood and serum samples tested by CATT/T. evansi revealed 16 cases positive, with 6.8% from central plain and 13.63% from western zone. To assess the specificity of serological test, PCR1 was performed using established primer pair TR3 5'-GCG CGG ATT CTT TGC AGA CGA-3' and TR4 5'-TGC AGA CAC TGG AAT GTT ACT-3' for T. evansi. PCR2 applied with primer pair RoTat1.2F: 5'-ATG TCA ACG ATG CCT GTT ACA TTA CGC AC-3' and RoTat1.2R: 5'-TAA ATA TCA CTG TCA AGA CCT GCT GCG G-3' to rule out the consensus between the finding of the two PCR assays and agglutination test for T. evansi, which displayed results in concordance with PCR1. PCR assays showed 1.92 and 1.51% positive samples from central plain and western zone, respectively. With respect to PCR assay, CATT/T. evansi showed 100% sensitivity and 92.1% specificity. Microscopy showed a very low prevalence rate of 0.59% with only one sample positive with teaming parasitaemia. Comparison between sexes revealed higher positivity in mares by the three tests (BSE: 0.95%, PCR: 2.88%, CATT/T. evansi: 14.42%). The haemato-biochemical factors were found to be altered in PCR positive cases, while the mean value of vital parameters lied in normal range in seropositive cases. The female horse (RR=0.0937, 95% CI=1.388-190.223%) population was found to be at the highest risk of seropositivity for T. evansi, particularly in the unorganized farms (RR=19.726, 95% CI=2.918-400.221%).
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24931285/