title: Serological diagnosis of Besnoitia bennetti infection in donkeys (Equus asinus).
abstract: Besnoitiosis is an emerging infectious disease of donkeys (Equus asinus) in the United States for which there are currently no serologic methods of diagnosis. A study was performed to evaluate physical examination findings and 3 serologic assays for the detection of Besnoitia bennetti infection in donkeys. A prospective study of 416 donkeys from 6 privately owned herds across 5 U.S. states (New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Oregon, and Washington) was performed. Donkeys were examined for clinical lesions suggestive of besnoitiosis and evaluated for antibodies against B. bennetti using a fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and 2 immunoblot assays specific for bradyzoite and tachyzoite antigens, respectively. Donkeys were confirmed to be infected with B. bennetti by histology (cases; n = 32) and were compared to those with no clinical signs of besnoitiosis (controls; n = 384). Identifying clinical lesions in 2 or more locations correctly identified infected donkeys 83% of the time. Donkeys with besnoitiosis had significantly higher FAT titers (P < 0.001) and numbers of bradyzoite (P < 0.001) and tachyzoite (P < 0.001) immunoblot bands than control donkeys. The sensitivity and specificity of the serologic assays for detecting besnoitiosis was 88% and 96% for FAT, 81% and 91% for bradyzoite immunoblot, and 91% and 92% for tachyzoite immunoblot, respectively. Fluorescent antibody and immunoblot assays are effective at identifying donkeys with besnoitiosis and provide a more efficient and less invasive diagnostic alternative to histology.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Sciences (Ness, Divers), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYBiomedical Sciences (Peters-Kennedy), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYPopulation Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (Mittel, Mohammed), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYMicrobiology and Immunology (Bowman), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Isle of Riems, Germany (Schares)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (Dubey) sally.ness@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: SallyAnne L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Sciences (Ness, Divers), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYBiomedical Sciences (Peters-Kennedy), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYPopulation Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (Mittel, Mohammed), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYMicrobiology and Immunology (Bowman), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Isle of Riems, Germany (Schares)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (Dubey).
authors.forename: Gereon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schares
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Sciences (Ness, Divers), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYBiomedical Sciences (Peters-Kennedy), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYPopulation Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (Mittel, Mohammed), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYMicrobiology and Immunology (Bowman), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Isle of Riems, Germany (Schares)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (Dubey).
authors.forename: Jeanine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peters-Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Sciences (Ness, Divers), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYBiomedical Sciences (Peters-Kennedy), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYPopulation Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (Mittel, Mohammed), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYMicrobiology and Immunology (Bowman), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Isle of Riems, Germany (Schares)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (Dubey).
authors.forename: Linda D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Mittel
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Sciences (Ness, Divers), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYBiomedical Sciences (Peters-Kennedy), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYPopulation Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (Mittel, Mohammed), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYMicrobiology and Immunology (Bowman), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Isle of Riems, Germany (Schares)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (Dubey).
authors.forename: Jitender P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Sciences (Ness, Divers), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYBiomedical Sciences (Peters-Kennedy), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYPopulation Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (Mittel, Mohammed), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYMicrobiology and Immunology (Bowman), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Isle of Riems, Germany (Schares)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (Dubey).
authors.forename: Dwight D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Sciences (Ness, Divers), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYBiomedical Sciences (Peters-Kennedy), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYPopulation Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (Mittel, Mohammed), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYMicrobiology and Immunology (Bowman), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Isle of Riems, Germany (Schares)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (Dubey).
authors.forename: Hussni O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Sciences (Ness, Divers), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYBiomedical Sciences (Peters-Kennedy), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYPopulation Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences (Mittel, Mohammed), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYMicrobiology and Immunology (Bowman), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NYFriedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Isle of Riems, Germany (Schares)Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD (Dubey).
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Divers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D018397:Equidae; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000662:veterinary; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000662:veterinary; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region; D015205:Northwestern United States; D011446:Prospective Studies; D021745:Sarcocystidae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D014707:Vermont
keywords: Besnoitia bennetti; besnoitiosis; bradyzoite; donkeys; fluorescent antibody test; immunoblot; serology; tachyzoites