A case of transplacental transmission of Theileria equi in a foal in Trinidad.
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.
School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, EWMSC, Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago. karla.georges@sta.uwi.edu
Karla C
KC
Georges
Chuckwudozi D
CD
Ezeokoli
Olivier
O
Sparagano
Indira
I
Pargass
Mervyn
M
Campbell
Roger
R
D'Abadie
Michael J
MJ
Yabsley
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000469:parasitology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D006736:Horses; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007565:Jaundice / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D011247:Pregnancy; D016794:Theileria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago
D016054:DNA, Protozoan