title: Prevalence and diagnosis of Babesia and Theileria infections in horses in Italy: a preliminary study.
abstract: Babesia caballi and Theileria equi are the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis. In this preliminary epidemiological study, 412 horses reared in central and northern Italy were sampled and three diagnostic methods compared, namely, the microscopy, the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and a PCR. Possible risk factors (such as area, season, breed, activity, sex, age, and grazing) associated with serological positivity were evaluated. A seroprevalence of 68.4% was found: 12.4% of the animals had anti-T. equi antibodies, 17.9% anti-B. caballi antibodies and 38.1% had antibodies against both species. Of the seropositive samples, 3.1% and 9.4% were positive to microscopy and PCR, respectively; 31.5% of the horses were IFAT-negative but 1.4% and 2.4% of the corresponding blood samples were positive to microscopy and PCR, respectively. Molecular techniques revealed that the species present were closely related to T. equi, Theileria sergenti, Theileria buffeli and the Babesia microti-like piroplasm provisionally named Theileria annae. Grazing was found to be a pronounced risk factor for equine piroplasmosis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biopatologiche ed Igiene delle Produzioni Animali e Alimentari, Università di Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy. annabella.moretti@unipg.it
authors.forename: Annabella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mangili
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvatori
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maresca
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scoccia
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torina
authors.forename: Iolanda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moretta
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Tampieri
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietrobelli
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001403:Babesia / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006736:Horses; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D006109:Poaceae / Q000469:parasitology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D016794:Theileria / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan