Faecal shedding and serological cross-sectional study of Lawsonia intracellularis in horses in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
Proliferative enteropathy, caused by the intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis, has been described in horses in Australia, the USA, Canada and European countries but has not been reported in Latin America. The prevalence of the disease in horses worldwide is unknown.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the presence of subclinical L. intracellularis infection in horses in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.


METHODS
A longitudinal study using serology and PCR for detecting antibodies (IgG) and shedding of L. intracellularis in faecal samples, respectively, was conducted using a total of 223 horses from 14 different horse farms in Minas Gerais, and from the Veterinary School of UFMG equine herds in Minas Gerais. The immunoperoxidase technique in glass slides was used as the serological test.


RESULTS
Twenty-one horse sera had immunoglobulin G titres of 1:60 and were considered positive. The PCR technique in faeces for L. intracellularis DNA identified 7 horses as faecal shedders. Horses shedding the organism appeared healthy, indicating that subclinical infection of L. intracellularis occurred in the horses.


CONCLUSIONS
Seropositivity and detection of faecal shedding of L. intracellularis indicates the presence of the agent in the equine population in Minas Gerais.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this study should alert clinicians in countries where proliferative enteropthy in horses has not been reported to consider this disease as a possible cause of enteric disease.
Department of Clinic and Surgery, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, PO Box 567, Belo Horizonte, MG 31.270-901, Brazil.
C V
CV
Guimarães-Ladeira
M S
MS
Palhares
J S V
JS
Oliveira
M A
MA
Ramirez
R M C
RM
Guedes
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D045824:Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006736:Horses; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D020639:Lawsonia Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G